Ordinary
by WitchyGirl99
Summary: She heard him. The killer. He was in her mind, listening, waiting for her to be alone. Because she would die. It's not the first time Kagome's faced death, but it was the first time she'd need more than the dead to save her. InuKag MirSan, sequel.
1. Homecoming

**_Here you go. The long-awaited sequel to _Imaginary_._**

**_Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha_**

_**Author's Note: **I recommend that you read Imaginary before this story. It is possible to read this without reading the first, however, this chapter as well as some aspects within it, won't make sense to you right away -if at all. And thank you, to all of my loyal readers and to those that review. I appreciate everything you've done for me as a writer. Much love._

* * *

**Ordinary**

_Prologue: Homecoming_

* * *

She thought it had been a normal night. Nice and normal. Clean and simple.

"I know, love. I'll be home soon."

"_I miss you. Why not leave and come home now?_"

His voice… She loved the sound of it. Deep and masculine. Strong and secure.

"I wish," she laughed, tucking a blonde strand of hair behind her ear. "It's only two more days."

"_Two more days? That long?_"

She laughed, knowing he was acting up to make her feel better. She never liked being alone. Isolated and single. Frozen and terrified.

**And with good reason.**

"Look babe, it's almost midnight. I have to sleep."

He chuckled at the other end. "_Oh, I know. I do too. Sleep well love. I'll talk to you in the morning_."

"Good night," she whispered, smiling. "I love you."

"_I love you too._"

The soft click told her that she was now alone in the small hotel room. And alone, she turned off the lamp light and snuggled deep under the covers.

**That won't hide you.**

She took a deep breath, feeling the cool sheets against her face.

**You've been a bad girl.**

**A bad, bad girl.**

She didn't even have time to scream.

* * *

She thought it was a normal night. Nice and normal. Clean and simple.

"I know, love. I'll be home soon."

"_Damn right you will be. I miss you._"

His voice… She loved the sound of it. Deep and masculine. Strong and secure.

"Damn right," she laughed, tucking a raven strand of hair behind her ear. "It's only four more days."

"_Four more days? Woman, I better see you in half that time."_

She laughed, knowing that he was acting up because it was his sole way of hiding his emotions. But she knew better. Far better.

**And with good reason. **

Something was wrong.

"_Babe?_"

"Hmm?" she said, taking a moment to collect herself. It was nothing. Absolutely nothing. "Oh sorry. I'm just so tired I'm practically half-asleep now. I should probably go to bed, it's past midnight."

He hesitated but then chuckled lightly. "_Yeah I should go too. This town is too small, with limited excitement. Tires the hell out of me._"

"Good night," she whispered, smiling. "I love you."

"_I love you too. Remember, two days and I better be seeing your face_."

The soft click told her that she was now alone in the small hotel room. And alone, she turned off the lamp light and snuggled deep under the covers.

**That won't hide you.**

She took a deep breath, feeling the cool sheets against her face. She wasn't going to listen. She couldn't listen. Wouldn't listen.

**You've been a bad girl.**

His voice sung sweetly like a lullaby. And then there was the echo behind that lullaby, like the harmony to the melodic line, chanting and soothing.

**A bad, bad girl.**

It happened so fast she didn't even know what to do. All of a sudden, the harmony grew louder. The song, so loud, it cried in her ear and what was worse, the booming voice whispering taunts of violence and pain.

So loud.

It was getting so loud.

_We're baaaaackkkkk…_

She didn't even have time to scream.

* * *

If Miroku Tsujitani had been awake, he would have noticed three things. For starters, he would have realized that his head was on the opposite side of where it should be. His bare feet were resting on the soft pillows that the hotel provided and his face was practically hanging off the other side. Ever since moving in with Sango, Miroku had a hard time sleeping alone. Sure, it was _easier_ to sleep because there were no distractions such as lingerie and soft skin and…well, you know. But he had grown accustomed to sleeping with someone beside him and now that that someone was no longer there, he slept backwards.

Secondly, Miroku would've realized that the neighbours beside his hotel room where having sex. Very loud sex –and as much as that would've been free porn instead of the crap the hotel provided for ten dollars, he was sleeping and therefore, unaware.

And finally, he would have noticed that there was a puddle beside his mouth where the drool was spilling. Not an attractive thing drool is and he was very lucky that Sango wasn't around to see that.

But none of this mattered because the main thing was that he was sleeping and that his life was, once again, back to normal. Or so he thought.

At first, Miroku wasn't sure what had woken him up. There was a strange, rather repetitive noise coming from the hotel room beside him, but surely that wouldn't have been enough to startle him from his deep sleep. He rolled around on his bed, lying on his back. He blinked a few times, feeling the lull of sleep overcome him once more and the image of Sango, so perfectly posed was so vivid in his mind…

Again, that noise. What the _hell_ was that noise?

It sounded like something was…booting up.

Miroku sighed, wondering how in God's name he was supposed to sleep. There was a strange noise that seemed to be powerful enough to wake him and two sex-addicts banging that damned headboard in the next room. Wait…were they having sex?

_Beep._

More noise, from the other room to the right of him. The room that he was joined too… Kagome's room. All of a sudden, a wave of clicking noises filled his delicate ears, and Miroku searched the dark room for the light switch. He found it, just beside the wooden headboard by the clock that stated four-oh-six a.m.

_What the?_

Miroku had never felt so confused in his life. He rolled out of bed, dragging the sheets he had so snugly wrapped around his body with him. They fell off by the time he had pushed open the door to the next room and Miroku was hardly surprised to see Kagome sitting up on her bed, typing on her computer.

"Kagome," Miroku sighed, resting one hand on the door frame. "Please tell me this is important because you need your sleep."

Kagome didn't respond.

"I bought you seven different notebooks for times like these Kagome. I know you get ideas when you sleep, but seriously. It's four in the morning and you have a greeting tomorrow at that bookstore on the other side of town."

This time, Kagome did answer him, but not at all in the way he expected her to.

"_When I see you again, it'll be with arms wide full of love. And I'll see you again; it'll be day I'll live for, even when I'm…_"

She was singing. If Miroku thought he was confused before, he was surely wrong because this –this was a whole new level of confusion. Kagome was singing, and he didn't know why. Until she screamed.

"–_DEAD!_"

In that instant, he knew, even though he wished he didn't. The Kagome he said goodnight to more than six hours ago was not the same Kagome he stared at. This was the Kagome that was too deep in her subconscious to understand what she was doing. This was the Kagome that was psychic.

"_DEAD!_" she screamed, again, her voice so high pitched it hurt his ears. He didn't even know that she (or any human for that matter) was capable of such a pitch. But then again, she wasn't human right now.

"Kagome!" Miroku yelled, jumping on the bed and grabbing her sides. He shook her so hard that her head bashed against the headboard and she collapsed somewhat dramatically to the side, her hair fanning out along the pillows and her face so pale, she looked like she'd seen a ghost.

But Miroku knew better. She hadn't seen a ghost. She had heard a ghost –and not just one, but millions. All of the ghosts that wandered through the Grey Time –a place that was forced into limbo, where spirits could not live or die– were singing with her, screaming with her.

He watched her, all too aware of the silence that surrounded him. Miroku held his breath and his chest hurt from the lack of oxygen. "Kagome?" he whispered.

Slowly, pale eyelids flickered and dark chocolate eyes were revealed. For a long, painful moment, Kagome didn't move. She just lay there, staring at the blankets that were right by her face. And then, even slower, she moved, sitting up carefully and looking at her best friend and agent with marred eyes.

"Kagome," Miroku sighed, grabbing her and bringing her to his chest. He hugged her tightly. "Are you okay?"

She was shaking violently, her skin ice cold.

"Miroku," she said shakily. "I can hear them. The voices. They're back."

"I know," he replied, rocking her slightly. "I know."

"They –they've come back to haunt me. Another story… Another death."

At that moment, the both of them turned away from each other to look at the computer screen. Miroku studied it, noticing the battery was charging from five percent.

"It died when I wasn't finished," Kagome said, answering his question. "I don't remember plugging it in though."

Miroku nodded, realizing that was the sound that had awoken him. The sound of the computer re-booting itself after it had hibernated. He didn't want to ask, but knew he had to. "Who, Kagome?"

Kagome shivered. "Sasara Fumito. She's dead. Here. Two floors down. 9-C"

"In this hotel?"

Kagome nodded.

"We need to call the police," Miroku said, rushing up to get to the phone.

"We need to call Inuyasha."

Miroku nodded again and left the room. A few moments later, Kagome could hear him talking on the phone, explaining the situation he only knew vaguely himself. Kagome just sat there, numb. She didn't know what to do. The voices inside her head were too loud, much too loud. What could she do when they were screaming and wailing at her to do so much?

_Find me, help me…_She's dead. She's dead…_Oh my God, I didn't know…_Touch me there, like that…_You selfish, arrogant bastard. How could I ever love you?_

The hotel room was like a train wreck of emotion. How many people had been in this room? How many people had slept on this mattress? Made love on this mattress? Cried and screamed on this mattress?

She had to get out. She couldn't stay there any longer.

Jumping out of bed and putting on a pair of yesterday's jeans and a new top, Kagome stepped out of the hotel room. She leaned against the wall by the door and closed her eyes, breathing in and out slowly. The story, so beautifully written, was sitting there on her bed, typed up to the perfection her subconscious stories always were. This was the eighth story she had ever written subconsciously, even though it was supposed to be the ninth. Two years ago, Kagome had been hunted by her half-sister, someone she had never met in her entire life. Seven years ago, Kagome had started writing these murder stories –subconscious stories that she only wrote when a murder was occurring– and from them got involved in a chase to catch a killer with Inuyasha Taisho, Chief of Trite police and her love. Though it took a while before it got that way…

But now, here she was again. Waking up from what seemed to be a terrible nightmare _into_ yet another nightmare, and seeing a laptop with a new document, saved and titled, of another's death.

Fate must have had a field day with this one. Kagome didn't know what she was going to do. The last murders were so close to her, they were on a personal level even though she wasn't aware of it. But, how was she connected to these murders? How did she write these murder mysteries when she wasn't connected?

Nothing made sense, and at this point, she didn't expect it to.

"Kagome?" she heard Miroku call frantically.

"I'm right here, Miroku. Calm down."

Miroku gave a visible sigh of relief. "Well excuse me. But as I last recall this happening, you disappeared for a good while after you wrote the first mystery in Trite."

Kagome grimaced. She forgot about that detail.

"Did you call?" she asked, watching Miroku's violet eyes dim.

"Yeah. They'll be here soon. I called anonymously though. I would rather we stayed out of this mystery."

Kagome knew that that wasn't possible. If she wrote these stories, she wasn't off the hook. The voices made her write these stories for a reason, and usually that reason included getting overly involved. Miroku knew that too, which is why he was acting the way he was.

"Do you know this girl?"

Kagome looked up at him, staring at what she considered her older brother. He was only two years older, with a muscular build and chin-length black hair. Usually, it was in a neat style that looked like a rat's tail on the back of his head.

"No," she answered slowly, shaking her head. "The name…not really. It's not something I think I've come across but you never know. You don't know the name of every person you meet, right?"

Miroku nodded solemnly. "I decided to let you call Inuyasha."

Kagome groaned. She knew what his reaction was going to be once she told him. He was going to freak out, demand that she returned home and she would argue with him, knowing full well that she couldn't. The voices didn't make her tell a story for no reason and although he understood that –to a certain degree– when it came to her safety, he wouldn't really give a damn. And she understood –to a certain degree– that that was his nature. There was nothing she could do.

The phone felt heavy in her frail and weak hands. She stared at them, watching the pale flesh shake visibly under the weight of the tiny black touch-screen Razor cell phone. But she knew she had to call Inuyasha. Even though she knew it was going to be like walking through a storm of fire and brimstone.

She dialled the number that was all too familiar. It was only a few moments before the sound of his voice filled the speaker and Kagome instantly felt her eyes well up with tears. Miroku, who was beside her still, put a comforting hand on her shoulder, and Kagome's body slumped a little as she used the wall for support.

"Inuyasha," she whispered, after hearing his weak and sleep-filled hello.

Instantly, she could tell that he was worried. The sound of his voice was stronger but gentler, and it did nothing to slow the tears that were leaking down her face. "_What's wrong Kagome? What happened?_"

"They're back."

A simple statement; and one that didn't need any explaining. She could feel her heart racing in her chest and the voices… They were so loud. So taunting. Like a very loud party in the next room, with only the insulation to stop how loud it truly was. But the noise wasn't music or singing or loud, drunk voices –it was the quiet whisperings of the dead. And together they were screams from hell.

"_How is that possible? Kagome… You didn't, did you?_"

Inuyasha, her love, her strength…

He knew her well enough to know about the voices and why they came. He knew what the voices did to her. He heard them more than a few times two years ago, but by accident surely. They were connected, psychically and emotionally. He saved her life then, and she was sure that if he hadn't come at that moment, or if he hadn't communicated with her on that special level, that she would've died.

"Yeah, I did."

"_Who? Where?_"

"Sasara Fumito and she is –was– staying here, two floors below me."

"_Shit. Kagome, you have two choices._"

Here they went again. Whenever there was a large problem, instead of losing his temper, he would give her choices. He was trying at least, but it was only a short time before fire and brimstone fell from the skies.

"_Either you come here or I come there._"

"I can't leave, Inuyasha. Of all the murders occurring in the world right now, and of all the murders occurring in this large city, why did this murder affect me? Why am I connected to this? I can't leave, I'm sorry."

"_Then I'm coming there._"

Kagome felt slightly better, knowing that he was on his way. But something nagged at her. "You can't do anything about this, you know that right? You're the Chief of Trite and nowhere else. You can't solve anything here."

There was silence for a little while and Kagome smiled. "I knew that that was going through your mind."

"_I thought you couldn't read my mind through the phone._"

Kagome laughed, despite the fact that she was shaking. "I just know you."

"_Dammit._ _Well, it doesn't matter. I'm coming anyways. I'll be there in a few hours. Stay there, will you? Don't move and please, please don't do anything stupid._"

"Like run into another body?"

"_Yeah, that would qualify_."

"Okay, I'll see you soon."

"_I love you,_" he said quickly, and she could hear him rummaging through his drawers. He was probably packing to leave.

"I love you too. I'll be safe, promise."

The soft click of the phone sounded soon after, and Kagome gave Miroku a wry smile. "He's coming."

"I wouldn't expect anything else," Miroku replied, taking the phone from her shaking hands. "Come on. Let's go back into the room. Let's not bring any more attention to us than necessary."

Kagome nodded and together, they moved into the room. She soon lay down on the bed, massaging her temples and praying desperately that the voices, so loud in her mind, would quiet down.

But they wouldn't and she knew it.

"Miroku?" Kagome asked quietly. "Can you give me a minute? Please? I need…to think."

For a long moment, Miroku did nothing. Her eyes were closed but she could feel his calm violet eyes staring at her.

"I'll get you if I need you," she reassured and Miroku, unsure and unwilling, nodded and walked into the joint bedroom, shutting the door behind him.

In the silence of the bedroom, Kagome felt the ripping headache she knew would come soon after. It always came. Hard and fast, making her head feel like it was being hit with a hammer repeatedly. She opened her eyes and reached toward the night table by her bed, grabbing the bottle of aspirin she always kept with her and the glass of water she had been drinking earlier. She swallowed four pills, the same amount she took the last time the voices returned. Funny, how often terrible things occurred in a repetitive cycle. How her movements were identical to those two years ago and of that seven years ago, when the voices first appeared.

When the aspirin was down her and the queasy feeling in her stomach started to ease, Kagome sat up and dragged her laptop towards her. Her headache still pounded and the light off the screen didn't help to slow the thud. But she had to read her story, she had too. So she scrolled to the top, and read the work that she had created unconsciously.

It was beautiful. So dark. So evil. So bloody. And yet so damningly beautiful.

Sasara Fumito had the perfect life. Blonde hair and blue eyes, she could have any man she wanted. Instead, she stayed with her high school sweetheart, the captain of the Chess Team. They were together for five years before he went down on one knee and it had been their seventh anniversary last month. She had a successful job in the marketing business, and she was adored by everyone.

But apparently not, because someone wanted her dead.

Dead enough that the bullet was deep in her skull.

Dead enough that her eyes were open, glaring accusingly at the white ceiling above her.

Dead enough that her lips, chapped and parted, echoed a scream that didn't have enough time to surface.

Dead enough that killer had cut her open, taken her blood, and drew a five letter word on her uncovered stomach…

_Bitch._

And then, the room spun.

Kagome felt her breath catch in her throat and her hands, once steady and raised above the keyboard was now shaking uncontrollably. She couldn't understand what was happening to her, other than it had never happened before. The room she was in no longer existed. It was now just an inky blackness with no meaning, no shape or texture, to define its reality.

She was losing herself to her mind. The mind that screamed with voices. The voices that wanted to use her so they could take her body over. And live.

While her soul died.

Kagome tried to scream; to open her mouth and yell Miroku's name. But her voice never came –it was simply drowned out by the other, loud and wailing voices of the dead. Until, the darkness disappeared and the voices went silent.

_More will die._

Kagome felt frozen. This couldn't be happening. Not again. Not now. "Who are you? Kikyo's in peace. There's…no one else. Who _are_ you?"

_Me? Who am I?_

The strange, haunting voice laughed without humour.

_I'm your worst nightmare._

* * *

**_And so it begins. Please review and let me know what you think. It really helps me and inspires me to write better and faster. _**

**_Thanks again,_**

**_WitchyGirl99_**


	2. Death Wish

_**Hi everyone. I'm very sorry for the slow update. I just finished my exams where I would study for 10 hours each day. No joke. So that was basically a week of my life gone. Hence a week behind update. I will update faster, usually every two weeks until Loyal Traitor is done. That's only two more chapters anyways so the updates after that will become much more frequent.**_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha.**_

* * *

**_Ordinary_**

_Chapter One: Death Wish_

* * *

No. It wasn't possible. Couldn't be possible.

_Shouldn't_ be possible.

But she knew it was. She knew that her psychic abilities weren't going to end there. After the murders that took place in Trite five years ago, everything went eerily…silent. As if the voices pressed the mute button and she was left to be alone, with Inuyasha by her side to help. She knew the voices weren't actually gone but muffled, and she could only believe that it was due to Inuyasha, and their connection.

But now, Inuyasha was so far away. And now, the voices were back.

With a new imaginary friend.

'Who are you?' Kagome demanded once more, terrified. Miroku was in the other room, and she knew that if she yelled for him that he would appear in moments. But she wanted to be alone and it was harder to concentrate with another presence.

_Oh, come on my dear Kagome. Don't you hate us? Me? These voices? They're a bitch to deal with. I would know._

Kagome shook her head, as if her imaginary friend could see. 'I don't understand…'

_We're your worst nightmare? Am I wrong?_

Kagome didn't know what to say. The voice was right.

_I know I am._

Kagome shivered. Naturally, the voice should've answered or made a further statement on the previous question. But Kagome knew the voice was answering her inner-most thoughts.

'Who are you?' Kagome asked again, trying desperately to make a connection with the intruder. 'What do you want?'

_I'm not who you think I am,_ the male voice cooed. The voice grew gradually softer than the roar it had been in her mind earlier. _And what I want? Well, are you sure you want to know? You won't live if I tell you._

'You know who the killer is? You know who killed Sasara Fumito?'

The male voice laughed, the sound booming once more. _Do you have a death wish? Because if not, you'll get one._

"I don't understand. What are you trying to tell me?" Kagome screamed out loud, frustrated. "I can't help you if you don't tell me who you are, what you want and if you don't tell me who killed this girl!"

Just then, the door to the joint bedroom opened and Miroku stumbled in, eyes wide. "Kagome! Who are you talking to?"

That was all it took. The connection was broken and Kagome felt the natural roar of the voices in her mind. They were singing, as one, in broken chords with some shrieking like they were burning at the stake. It was chilling, but Kagome could do nothing to stop it. But that song…

_When I see you again, it'll be with arms wide full of love. And I'll see you again; it'll be the day I'll live for, even when I'm dead…_

"I'm fine, Miroku," Kagome said, frowning. "Just the voices are bothering me."

She wouldn't tell him, not yet.

"You should go back to bed," Miroku said softly. "You're tired and this is clearly draining you. I recommend that you don't look in the mirror."

I gave a small smile. "Thanks."

"But seriously," he continued. "Inuyasha banging on the door will surely wake you up, and I know you'll rest better when he's here anyways. Do you want me to stay with you?"

Kagome eyed the double bed cautiously.

"No! No. I'll relax in the chair. And I'll open the door so you can get the hugs and I'll get the shoulder to the face when he barges in."

This time, Kagome really smiled. "Thanks Miroku. And I'll take you up on your offer."

Kagome crawled over to the bed and snuggled deep under the covers. The sun was already up and Kagome knew Inuyasha should be there in an hour and she really should have been waiting…

But her eyes were so heavy that they felt like sandpaper. The cool sheets helped to calm her nerves and Miroku's relaxed humming made her feel safe and secure. It was past nine, but it felt like one in the morning…

Soon, and Kagome wasn't aware of it, but darkness ebbed around her mind and slowly, it was taken in by the lull of her dreams.

* * *

There was a very strange, very loud ticking noise beside her ear. Her eyes, feeling just as heavy as they had felt earlier, slowly opened and Kagome rolled her head to the side. She expected to see the blinding light from the mid-afternoon sun. She had, after all, gone back to bed at nine in the morning.

But she didn't open her eyes to a light-filled room. Instead, the room she was in was engulfed by darkness. She waited patiently for her eyes to adjust, but she realized moments later that nothing was happening. Either she was blind, or it was pitch black in the room.

"Miroku?" Kagome called out, not moving from her position on the bed. Her breathing hitched and suddenly sped up with the rate of heart. "Miroku, where are you?"

Nothing.

There was absolutely nothing.

Ever so slowly, Kagome shifted her body so that she was on the very edge of the bed. She only had to move her legs, since her head was already resting gently on the side. She reached out with her hand to find the lamp and turn it on. It was way too dark to see. And where was her alarm clock? But even as Kagome laid her hand on the smooth surface of the wooden table, she could feel nothing on it.

What the _hell_ was going on?

"Inuyasha?" Kagome called out, more out of desperation than any other emotion. "What's going on?" The last part of the sentence came out in a choked sob. She didn't understand how she was suddenly so alone. Miroku said he was going to stay with her, so why was he–

_Gone? Dearest, they're all gone._

"What?" Kagome mumbled. "Who are you?" But she knew who it was. It was the killer. A voice so dark and laced with malice that the evil within it was unmistakable, and yet, she swore she had heard it from somewhere.

_They're going to be gone. Forever. And ever. __Just like Sasara. Just like the others that are going to die. And there will be others. Many others. All of them dead, singing the song in which I wrote._

"And when I see you again, it'll be with arms wide full of love. And I'll see you again; it'll be the day I live for, even when I'm dead…"

_With arms full of love, I'll hold you and kiss you. Love you forever until death do us part, and death will do us part, for I am long, long dead. I am…_

"What?"

_You'll be dead, Ms. Higurashi. That's what you'll be. But not yet. Eventually. If you hadn't interfered than I wouldn't have even considered killing you, murdering you with my own hands. But you did, you fucking bitch, so now I'm going to kill you._

Kagome sobbed harder, holding her hands tighter against her ears. This wasn't happening. Not now. Everything was so dark. So, so dark. And him, so evil and demanding. Her life was once again threatened. Why her? Why?

_Watch yourself darling. I'll be killing you,_ the voice said like a parting goodbye. Only 'seeing' was the usually word choice instead of killing.

"I don't want to die, I don't want to die, I don't want to die…" she murmured over and over again. It was her mantra, her last will to stay alive.

Suddenly, her body was forced forwards violently. She fell off the bed, her head smashing against the floor. Strangely she felt no pain, only pain in her arms, crushing…tightening…

"_Kagome_! _Wake_ _up_!"

She shuddered, her body wracking with the sobs that escaped her lips.

"_Kagome_!"

It was like she was breathing for the first time. Her eyes flew open and the world around her was blinding. The light that shone into her eyes made her shut them closed but just as soon as the light came, it disappeared again. Or dimmed.

Kagome opened her eyes, squinting at first, until she realized who was on top of her.

"Inuyasha?" Her voice sounded weak and pathetic. His amber eyes, so deep and full of liquid gold, were staring at her with the intensity she remembered when he woke her up the first time she had a bad dream.

"I'm right here Kagome. You were having a bad dream. I'm right here love. Right here."

"Inuyasha?" Kagome mumbled again, her weak hands fumbling for his shirt. Once it was in her hands, she grasped it tightly, making sure it was real. Making sure _he_ was real.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome sobbed, tears falling down her face. Her chest heaved up and down from the effort and before she knew it, Inuyasha's lips crashed upon hers. She wrapped her arms around his neck, holding him to her so tightly that he could never escape. Never.

He broke apart briefly, a whispered "I'm not leaving" reaching her ears before she pulled him to her again. She couldn't believe that he was here, that he was holding her and kissing her. It seemed like only a second that he was on top of her, but he pulled apart and shifted so that they were facing each other on the side.

"Are you okay?" he whispered, his amber eyes full of worry as he traced his thumb down her jaw. "You were screaming about not wanting to die."

Kagome stiffened slightly, unwillingly remembering the darkness she had just experienced. "It was just a bad dream."

He raised a brow, a smirk crossing his lips. "Are you sure?"

She couldn't meet his eyes. Instead, she held out her hand. He took it without hesitation, and Kagome had the strange feeling that he was going to do it anyways regardless if she had offered it or not. But that would be so like him to do that, especially if he felt that there was a need.

She watched his amber eyes as they dilated and knew without a doubt that hers were too. This is what happened when he went into her mind. This is what happened when they went in deep.

Minutes passed by and the only thing that went on between them was the steady rise and fall of each others' chests. His mind was within hers, searching and reliving everything that she went through in her dream. She relaxed, taking a deep breath as she too relived it. Inuyasha's thumb suddenly stroked the back of her hand, and she smiled slightly.

Without letting go of her hand, he sighed. "Who was he?"

"I don't know," Kagome answered honestly. They were no longer connected but he would know if she was lying to him. "But it was…evil."

"The police have already removed her body," he murmured. "They look SOL for leads though. The captain looked pretty frustrated."

There was a long, hesitating silence for a moment. Kagome looked up to meet his eyes, still changing back to their natural look. She knew what he was going to say and she waited, patiently, while he thought it out.

"What did you do?"

"I don't know how I interfered," she replied. "I talked to a lot of people yesterday. With that signing earlier, shopping after, dinner and so on, I could've interfered anywhere. I don't honestly know."

Inuyasha growled softly, his hand moving from her hand to her waist as he pulled her closer. "Not again."

"I'm not going to die Inuyasha."

He raised a brow. "Not while I'm here. And I'm not going to be stupid again. You're going to stay by my side twenty-four-seven. You are not leaving me."

"Never?"

"Never."

"How about showering?"

"…Is that supposed to change my mind any?"

"I suppose not."

"You supposed right."

Kagome laughed. "I'll be fine."

"When you're beside me. Which will be always."

Sighing and realizing that she wasn't going to win, Kagome stopped talking. For a moment. "So what are we going to do now?"

"Well Miroku called that bookstore you were supposed to be signing at and he held it until four. Therefore, you still have two hours before you've got to be there."

Kagome smiled. "And what are you going to be doing while I'm signing?"

"Watching you, obviously."

Kagome scowled. "Obviously."

Neither Kagome nor Inuyasha nor Miroku heard anything more about the murder. As of yet, police had not come to the room asking questions. They figured that it was only a matter of time and that there was no point in leaving any earlier or later to avoid or wait for them. When it was three-thirty, the three of them left the hotel and only Kagome had her eyes down in front of her. Inuyasha and Miroku both played the part of the curious nosy guests. Although, Kagome was positive that Inuyasha wasn't playing anything.

"Something's up," Inuyasha finally said when they got to Kagome's Maserati. "It looks like the captain and his sergeants were having an argument."

"Could you tell about what?" Miroku asked, peeking his head out from the back.

Inuyasha shook his head. "No idea. I guess only time will tell."

"Yeah, time," Kagome muttered under her breath and although Inuyasha heard, he chose not to comment. Maybe because he understood after he relived her dream. Or maybe he was thinking about it himself. Either way, Kagome didn't have a good feeling and she didn't feel like time was something they had.

* * *

Captain Menomaru Seki had never felt more pissed off in his entire life. A dead, thirty-two year old woman turned up in a nearly full hotel in one of the busiest cities in the country. ID had confirmed her. Goddamn. Briscoe was a city packed of wishful hopefuls and daydreamers, wishing to be famous –the next Megan Fox per say. Most of them ended up working part-time jobs and living in an apartment not suitable for rats, but that's what happened to big cities with big dreams. The dreams always get bigger than the city.

But right now, the city was hardly to blame. Ms. Sasara Fumito was found dead in her hotel bedroom, with her still wet crimson blood staining the mattress. She was a beautiful young thing –blonde, petit with green eyes. Except now her blonde hair was dyed red, her petit frame looked like if you touched it, it would fall apart and her green eyes would never be shown to anyone ever again.

"Nothing's broken or out of order from a first glance. Of course forensics will have to sort it out further but I don't doubt his entry was the only door to the entire room."

Menomaru scowled at the realization. "Anything else Hari?"

Sergeant Hari Kawakami shook her head, her violet but nearly white waist-length hair shimmering. "Nothing else in the form leads. She was sleeping and he just came in and killed her."

"I want you to double-check with Maiho to see when forensics will get here. And I also want you to tell him that I will talk with the commissioner when I'm done here. I don't have time to have him breathing down my neck."

"Understood," Hari said and walked away to fulfill his wishes.

Turning around, Menomaru sighed when he saw Ruri Shima, his other sergeant, walking up with a manila folder in her hands. "What do you got for me?"

"A possible lead. Last night, Ms. Fumito called a long-distance number. They talked for over an hour until midnight."

"Midnight?" Menomaru scowled again. "The mortician claims that as her ETD. Shit. So what? She was on the phone, she gets tired, hangs up and then...gets murdered? Doc was pretty sure for an ETD, it was close. Her AC was on low, so we had a better approximation to go by."

"Maybe she wasn't asleep yet," Ruri confirmed. "It's possible. I ask for records as to when the room was entered using the card-key. The last time was at 6 p.m., and she ordered room service at 6:30. An officer is already talking to the bellboy and taking his prints for comparison."

"Prints on the doorknob?"

She nodded.

"What's in the folder?" Menomaru asked unwillingly.

Ruri shrugged. "The card-key records since the room has been in her possession, her information from check-in and duration, as well as phone records and orders."

"Good. I want you to go back to the department and have all of that sorted through. Inside and out. I want everything in chronological order, in one long list."

Before Ruri could respond, Hari returned. "Maiho understands. Forensics should be here within a half hour."

"Okay good, both of you," Menomaru stated, smiling crookedly. "Hari go with Ruri back to the department. I need you to sort through the paperwork and go see the mortician for his preliminary. Also, I want both of you to find whoever the hell she was talking to on the phone and I need someone to confirm her identity."

Hari and Ruri both exchanged glances. He could tell what was going on. Best friends practically since birth, Hari and Ruri knew each other better than the backs of their hands. And they knew him pretty damn well too, considering he knew shit about them. Where they were strong in connection, the two were physically opposites. Hari had hair that was nearly white, with only a slight violet tinge to stop it from being the colour of snow. She was much paler than her other, with waist-length hair and small milky brown eyes. Ruri on the other hand was much more petit in frame, with large dark brown eyes and blue hair that was always clipped into two tight buns at the top of her head.

"Captain, we have a question," Ruri began.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Hari finished.

Menomaru sighed. He knew this was coming. "I don't think I have a choice, ladies. With her potential to match the other two victims…"

"But the M.O. is completely different," Hari argued.

Ruri, as always, finished. "Which also gives the potential for a completely coincidental set of murders."

He looked at them both, raising a brow.

"I don't believe in coincidences," both Ruri and Hari muttered, mocking his voice.

"So help it is?" Hari continued.

"Help it is."

Ruri sighed. "I hate these days."

* * *

Her hair was in a short cut, sort of like a bob, without being so old-fashioned. Her eyes were green, a boring green but darker than usual, spicing it up. Her skin was pale and her figure was petit. She was short and didn't like to wear heels. She went for a more natural look over one full of makeup. That was the basics of her whole self.

That's why Tsuya Atsuko didn't understand why she had to die. It didn't seem fair, not in the least bit. What had she ever done to deserve such a terrible fate?

Murder. She cringed at the thought. It would be a bloody murder too. Her eyes would probably be left open, blood pooling around her… But she couldn't think about that now. She was with him. Her lover.

"You seriously don't look okay," he murmured, mostly under his breath. "I just worry about you when you get this preoccupied. There's always something big going on if you start to act like this."

Tsuya smiled and hugged his arm closer to her body. They were walking down the street, she thinking about her last moments on earth while he was so blissfully unaware. "Don't worry about me," Tsuya urged for the millionth time. "I'm fine, really."

He glared at her. "I don't believe you."

She chose not to answer him and it was a good thing too. Because all of a sudden, she felt him –_it. _That evil, that presence, that lurking sensation of her soon-to-come doom. It was right there, on the street, somewhere…

She stopped and turned around, looking up and down the busy streets of Briscoe as her heart sank. There were so many people, she wouldn't be able to pick out anyone out of the ordinary. Especially if she only felt him and had never seen him before.

Yes, that evil that had just passed was going to be the cause of her death. She could feel it, feel _it_. The evil. Evil had thoughts too. Never a horn and a tail to stick out and show the whole world. Just a mask were a face was. A friendly face.

The only reason she wasn't locked up in her room was that she had an advantage over him. She was psychic and she wasn't going down without a fight.

* * *

_Once upon a time,_

_In a faraway land,_

_Lived a witch, so powerful and strong,_

_That she changed the future._

_She changed the M.O.,_

_She changed the reasons,_

_She changed every fucking thing about it._

_And why?_

_Because she's a fucking bitch._

_A bitch who has to die._

_Slow and painful._

_Painful and slow._

_And she will die, trust me. _

_Because even if I don't kill her, she'll die eventually._

_Soon._

_She does have a death wish after all…_

* * *

**_So there you have it. I know there are a lot of points-of-view in this chapter but it was necessary for the fun to begin!_**

**_Please review and tell me what you think._**


	3. Limbo

**Author's Note: Just a brief one. Sorry for the slow update, I'm trying to finish the final chapter of Loyal Traitor so I can focus on this more. Also, I will have another story posted up in a week. I have several ideas posted on my profile, so for those of you who asked what was coming, that's what's coming.**

**_Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha._**

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* * *

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_**Ordinary**_

_Chapter Two: Limbo_

* * *

The room she sat in was silent. Miroku was busy making some calls, trying to postpone times for her viewings until later dates. She was due for another signing at a large bookstore tomorrow and the day after she was supposed to be on the Late Night Show discussing her books. On the final day, she was supposed to be doing some research with her publishers to talk about future books and a possible movie translation for one of her books.

Then it was time for her to go home.

Unless the cops got suspicious.

They shouldn't, of course, Kagome told herself. There was absolutely nothing physical that connected her to the murder in the room below her. Nothing physical.

But a shit load of mental.

So there Kagome sat on the little chair in her hotel room, waiting for something to happen –whether it was the police checking to see if she heard anything or her new imaginary friend.

And what about that dream? She was without a doubt that in her mind that night was the killer. He was taunting her with the song, taunting her with her life. He told her that she was going to die. Eventually, as he phrased it. And that everyone was going to die –Inuyasha and Miroku. He was the killer, and not only had she touched his mind, but he touched hers. She was positive that the voice was male. So the person who murdered Sasara was male.

But what gender was her imaginary friend? When they spoke the first time, it was like the voice was far away, so that it echoed. Kagome couldn't figure out if it was a man or a woman trapped in her head, and she wondered if that information would help her anyways. Even when she knew the gender of her first imaginary friend was female, she didn't learn that it was Kikyo until she was almost dead.

A knocking on her door stirred Kagome from her thoughts, and slowly she made her way over. She could hear Miroku and Inuyasha's steps behind her.

"Who is it?" Kagome called, staring into the peephole and seeing a middle-aged man with light hair and a permanent frown.

"Officer Maiho from the BPD." His badge could be seen on his shirt.

Kagome opened the door. "Of course, come in."

Officer Maiho stared at her with sharp blue eyes before looking at Inuyasha and Miroku. He didn't come in, but asked her a question instead.

"This room is only registered for having one guest, not three." His tone was questioning.

"We have a joint bedroom," Miroku explained, making his way up towards Kagome and slightly shielding her. He continued by lying, "This gentleman over here is her fiancé."

Officer Maiho stared at Kagome's left hand. "You're not wearing a ring."

Kagome knew that going door to door in a very large hotel was probably not the best or most fun job there was. However, Kagome knew she wasn't a suspect and therefore, his suspicious statements were offensive. "My ring is a car," she snapped. "The Maserati. I lose rings within days so he bought me something I couldn't lose. So do you have any questions for me regarding the murder? Because if not, I would rather attend to what I was doing before I was interrupted."

"How did you know it was a murder?" Officer Maiho snapped back.

Kagome rolled her eyes. "Oh give me a break. If whoever it was down there had died from natural causes, I'm sure you wouldn't be here right now. As you know, I'm Kagome Higurashi, and I write murder mysteries for a living. With full co-operation from the TPD –Trite Police Department– they have discussed with me protocol for how my stories would work. I'm no fool Officer Maiho, and I find your tone extremely offensive."

For a long moment, Officer Maiho just stood there and watched her. He referred back to his notes and then returned to looking at her. "Alright," he said, his tone slightly gruff but less interrogating. "Would you allow me to start this again?"

Kagome looked at Inuyasha, who nodded. He would know how much trouble it would cause if she didn't co-operate. "Yes. Question away."

"Where were you last night at around midnight?"

"Here in my room," Kagome said, and then she looked at Miroku. "Since our room is joined, Miroku was talking with me."

"So you were awake?"

"Yes."

"Did you hear anything out of the ordinary? A cry, a noise, banging…anything like that?"

Both Kagome and Miroku shook their heads. "We didn't have a clue about anything until we left earlier this morning and passed through the lobby."

That was a lie, but it was necessary. It wouldn't sound too good if the answer was _Oh we didn't hear anything, but my friend Kagome is actually psychic and she writes the murders as they happen. So we were aware of it long before you were. Actually, we were the anonymous phone call._

Yeah. The day.

"Alright then, thank you for your time. Enjoy the rest of your evening," Officer Maiho said, scribbling down his notes. He finally looked up from them, looking sheepish. "And I am sorry about earlier."

"Apology accepted, have a good day."

With that, Kagome shut the door and sighed.

"That was interesting," Inuyasha commented, grabbing Kagome's hand and pulling her up. "He obviously worked straight through the night."

"He still had no excuse," Miroku said, heading towards the chair Kagome had been earlier sitting on.

Inuyasha agreed, "No there was no excuse, but it does show me something about this case."

"Another thing?" Miroku raised his eyebrow. "Before you said something was up, but what is it this time?"

Inuyasha looked long and hard and Kagome. "The captain is pushing his men into overtime. Briscoe isn't exactly a small town, but their resources probably aren't much better than the resources Trite has. All of the men are pulling double shifts and this wouldn't be happening unless…"

Kagome closed her eyes and swallowed hard. "He's killed before."

"It's a he?"

"You knew?"

The two questions thrown at her by the different men weren't startling. She knew it was going to happen. "First of all, yes, it is a he. Inuyasha would remember that voice, I think he's the killer." She looked at Inuyasha who nodded; he had the same conclusion. "However, I didn't know that he had killed before. But it would make some sort of sense that I didn't know."

"And how's that?" Inuyasha asked, amber eyes probing. "Last time, you wrote all of the murders."

"But I was connected to Tsubaki through blood. She was my half-sister and we had a connection, whether we knew about it or not. But whoever this is… There's no relation. There's no further connection than this hotel."

"So you connected with him here," Miroku said. "Which makes things harder. This hotel has 20 stories and is probably close to fifty rooms per floor. You could've connected with anyone. We all know this place is busy and I've accidently bumped into at least twenty people in three days."

"Then we have to go back," Kagome said. "Start with a layout of what happened and what…exchanges I had with others. Maybe we can figure out who it is and send the information anonymously."

"Even then we'll have to be careful," Inuyasha interjected, and then he froze. "Wait a minute, Kagome did you call them about the body?"

"I did," Miroku said. "I blocked my ID and called them anonymously. I told them that there had been a screaming noise in room 9-C. Sounded like an attack."

"Shit," Inuyasha cursed. "They can still trace the call…if they're desperate enough."

Miroku looked white. "Are they?"

Looking grim, Inuyasha sighed. "I was, wasn't I?"

"Okay, look guys," Kagome started. "We don't have much time anyways. Let's go through my past two days and figure out how in the hell I connected with a killer." Grabbing a pen and notebook, Kagome sat on the bed and titled the page.

"Okay, Saturday… We got here at what time?"

"Five in the afternoon."

"And we talked to our receptionist, what's her name?"

Miroku shrugged his broad shoulders. "I don't know. But she's female, so what does that matter?"

Kagome didn't really know the answer to that one, but she felt it was important to get _everyone_ she had some sort of exchange with. She wrote down the receptionist and the name she could vaguely remember.

"We had a bellboy," Miroku added. "His name was…Kai."

"Okay. So we have the receptionist and the bellboy. We ordered in but you answered the door because I was in the shower, so nothing there. I stayed in the room the rest of the night so then on Sunday, what happened then?"

"We went to the park so you could scope out a scene."

"Oh that's right. And we bumped into a woman with her boyfriend later in town. Tsuya and Nobunaga, I think."

Miroku nodded. "Yeah, that was them."

Kagome scribbled the down too. "But that venture took the majority of the day so we went out to a restaurant for dinner. Our server was named Akio, but he was so nice…"

"Wasn't it you that said _evil wears a beautiful face_?"

Kagome sighed and wrote his name down. "And then we got back and you were flirting with the receptionist…"

"I was not! My heart belongs to my Sango!"

Kagome rolled her eyes. "I know that, but she was flirting with you. Anyways, that's not the point. The point is when you were dealing with her, I went to the lobby's bathroom. There was a woman sobbing in there and I handed her some Kleenex through the stall."

"Again, a woman. Didn't you say the killer was a man?"

"Right, right," Kagome agreed, writing down the exchange anyways. "She seemed so upset."

"Did you ever find out what was wrong with her?"

"No, but she thanked me. I didn't get her name but she wanted to know who I was. I think she was hiding from another woman and didn't want to give her the satisfaction of seeing her cry."

"It's possible, but not important. Anything else?" Inuyasha asked.

"Not really. It happened that night."

"So there are only…three males. The bellboy, the waiter and that boyfriend."

"Or none of them," Kagome sighed. "It could've happened and I hadn't even noticed. There're just so many people out there."

"Then we'll start from the very beginning," Inuyasha stated, turning around and booting up Kagome's laptop. "From Sasara's background to her death."

"Read it over," Kagome agreed. "But if I remember correctly, there was very little information from her death. She was stabbed seven times, all around her stomach and her breasts. Her face was left untouched and her hair was fanned out around her. She had been almost asleep when she realized that someone was on the other end of the bed. She was about to scream but…there was too much blood in her mouth…"

Kagome's words broke off, becoming quieter and quieter. Her dark chocolate eyes dilated and her face went white. The voices screamed in her mind.

But her mouth didn't open. The voices didn't speak for her. They didn't use her like they usually did, to bring out their deepest, darkest secrets and fears.

"Kagome? Give me your hand," Inuyasha said calmly, in a hushed tone.

Weird. Even Inuyasha's voice could be understood. She looked around the room and realized that everything was still processing in her brain. She knew where she was. She knew who was with her. The voices… They were no longer controlling her. They weren't screaming out of her.

But everything was…grey. Inuyasha's silver hair was tinged grey, his amber eyes just a dark grey and his blue shirt was, again, grey. Miroku too. The room was surrounded in grey.

Why was everything _grey_?

Inuyasha was reaching for her now, trying to grab her hand and give her a lifeline before she fell too deep. But she didn't need one. Everything around her could still be processed, still be understood… It was just grey. Different shades of grey, but grey none-the-less.

"Kagome, give me your hand," said Inuyasha firmly.

Kagome shook her head side-to-side slowly, as if she was warming her neck up. She wished she could warm up. Suddenly, she felt very, very cold, as if the air conditioner had turned on full blast and she was under the vent.

And that's when it happened.

Everything went dead silent, with the exception of a high piercing noise that was almost in the background. It was the noise you heard when your ears were plugged, where everything was muffled and a high noise shrieked in the background. Her world was grey, and not in the metaphorical sense. Colour still hadn't returned and with the lack in noise and colour, it felt almost surreal –like she was no longer living.

No longer living.

_No_.

Kagome swung wildly to look at Inuyasha, who tried reaching for her. She wanted to touch him so badly, to hold is warm hand and have that lifeline…

But she couldn't, this was important and she knew it.

She was no longer a _special_ medium.

She was a fully-fledged medium.

And she was in the grey time.

Kagome had to communicate with Inuyasha or Miroku. She held her hands up as a sign of no worry. She looked at them both pointedly, watching their wary reactions to her movements.

"Don't touch me," Kagome said, but she wasn't sure if that was given across. She couldn't hear her voice. It sounded like she couldn't speak. "Give me a thumbs up if you can hear me."

Inuyasha and Miroku exchanged glances. Then slowly, both of them gave her thumbs up. Miroku, this time, tried to grab her.

"Don't," she ordered. "Not yet."

"Yet?" she read on Inuyasha's lips, though she couldn't actually hear him. Miroku said something more, some parts to her and others to Inuyasha. She couldn't keep up with the movements of his mouth and shook her head.

"I can't hear you."

They both just stared.

Kagome would've said more if she hadn't suddenly shivered violently, sending chills raging down her spine as she crumpled to the ground. The breath was knocked out of her, like she had just been punched in the stomach, and she thought she had cried out in pain.

She grasped the bed tightly, all the while making sure that Inuyasha and Miroku didn't touch her, but again, it was off. They were hardly there anymore, as if they were fading like ghosts in the mist.

Because now, that was what she was in.

It was strange, the transformations that she was being put under. First, everything went grey. Then the sound faded. And then… the mist. The mist was like a thin cloud that was produced out of a smoke machine. It wasn't wet, just blinding. It wasn't like the thick clouds heaven promised either, but that was because this wasn't heaven.

This wasn't even hell.

This was the grey time. This was the limbo that souls who couldn't let go, who had unfinished business, who were afraid to leave their loved ones behind, were forced to live in. Hell seemed like the better choice.

But she didn't have time to dwell on that. Her surroundings were gone. No longer did she feel the soft mattress but a hard, cold surface. No longer did she feel heat, but a pure bone-chilling cold. No longer did she feel the presence of warm-blooded creatures, but of…

That was when Kagome realized what she had been trying to avoid for so long.

Sasara Fumito emerged from the mist.

And she was dead.

* * *

Sergeants Hari and Ruri stared ruefully at their captain.

"How long?" asked Hari, toying with her ponytail of light hair.

"Soon enough."

"How _long_?" Ruri pressed.

Captain Menomaru Seki eyed the both of them, irritation clear in his eyes. "The M.O. was completely different, but the vics are the exact same. Physically, no."

"But their lifestyles," Hari agreed.

Ruri added to her friend's comment. "And the stab wounds. Seven of them –all of the attacks being primarily in the chest or uterus. A crime of passion and rage."

"I needed to the call them in. The FBI has so many more resources. They could help us catch this guy before he moves on and kills again."

"So what do you want us to do?" the sergeants asked.

Menomaru gave a heavy sigh. "Hari, I want you to check up on forensics. See if you can rush that order in. I know they got a few fingerprints and I want to make sure they're run through AFIS. I need a lead. Ruri, I need you to keep trying to contact the boyfriend and her family. Neither of them has answered and I need resources now. DNA, photos, anything."

"Anything else?"

He thought about it for a moment. "Yeah, actually. Tell Maiho to get his ass busy. I want him to see if he can track where that anonymous phone call came from. That's who called the murder in right?"

The girls nodded.

"Then get Maiho on it. Now."

"Yes, sir," Hari and Ruri chorused and they left Menomaru to stir in his thoughts.

* * *

"Ms. Atsuko?"

The familiar voice whisked Tsuya out of her troublesome thoughts and to the person standing before her, concern on their face.

"Yes, Koume?"

"Are you okay Ms. Atsuko? You've been sharpening that pencil _forever_!"

Tsuya pulled the once dull pencil out of the sharpener sheepishly, realizing that it was nothing more than a stub now. "I'm okay Koume," she clarified, patting the girl on the shoulders. "I'm just thinking about all of that work I have to mark."

"Well you don't have to mark mine," Koume said, smiling. Her dark hair and dark eyes were an astounding combination. She was going to be absolutely gorgeous when she was older. "I got perfect."

"Did you?" Tsuya said, playing along with the girl's thoughts. "Every question was right?"

Koume couldn't have looked more proud. "Every question!"

Tsuya could feel the happiness radiating off the girl in waves. She was a constantly happy person, that worked extra hard at everything she did, even though she was only in grade four. "Do you need help with anything?"

"No Ms. Atsuko. I just wanted to make sure you were okay."

"I am. Thank you." She smiled at the girl before watching her run towards her friends. They were sitting in the corner doing a craft that Tsuya had the entire class doing. Everyone was having fun and regardless of the activity, the class was relatively quiet. There were no students making a fuss or crying, and that was both a blessing and a curse to Tsuya. She needed the distraction but she needed to remain focused too.

Tsuya sat back down at her desk, grabbing a stack of papers that had to be marked and starting on the first one. She was done the ninth test only a few minutes later when she felt a strange emotion omitting from the room. She looked up, her green eyes softly examining the room. Where was it coming from?

And that's when she noticed two of the children bickering over a piece of paper.

"It's mine!" the one shouted, while the other merely pulled.

Tsuya got up and walked over to the two of them, gently grabbing the paper from both of their hands to see what was on it. It was a drawing of something she couldn't describe. It was a series of black, hard lines, drawing what seemed to be a face.

That face was unmistakably evil.

The hard dark eyes, the sharp pointed lines that created the body and the head… All of it looked just too menacing for a child in grade four to draw.

"Who's is this?"

The children looked down at the floor but said nothing to her question.

Tsuya shook her head. "If you can't play nice, then you won't play at all. Apologize to each other, please."

The two children looked at each other with burning eyes. They mumbled their apologies and Tsuya sent them away to do another activity, far away from each other.

"How strange," Tsuya said, her eyes unfathomable. She couldn't understand what the picture meant. It was cold, chilling… That's how the paper felt to her. But she couldn't pinpoint where the cold came from. Where did that evil originate?

In which child's mind was this evil face haunting?

Tsuya quickly walked over to the two students' desks, noticing that there were colouring pencils on both of them. Carefully, she picked each one up, one by one, until she found what she was looking for.

The pain that crushed her made her want to cry out.

Instead, she dropped the pencil like it had suddenly combusted and then walked back to her desk immediately. She would have to talk to the parents and get to the bottom of what was happening.

Because not only was evil knocking on her door, but it was knocking on the door of the child's too.

* * *

**Please Review! I'll post the next chapter soon!**


	4. Ghost Walk

**Disclaimer: _I do not own Inuyasha._**

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**Ordinary**

Chapter Three: Ghost Walk

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Kagome had never been more terrified in her entire life. The mist surrounded her and a woman stood before her. She was beautiful, even in her eerie appearance, but Kagome just figured that she was eerie because she was, well, dead.

A ghost.

Kagome realized that she wished she had never actually become a full-fledged medium.

"Sasara?" Kagome whispered. She felt her body tremble. She was grateful that she was on the mattress in the real world because if she had been standing, she wouldn't be now.

The ghost of Sasara Fumito walked towards her, though it couldn't technically be called such. She moved her legs the same as any normal human, but she seemed to float in the air, her body not moving up or down with the movement of her legs. Her straight blonde hair fluttered around her and her eyes…were beautiful. Large, green cat-eyes fixed on her and she frowned.

"What?" Kagome asked, reaching towards her slowly. "What's wrong?"

Sasara just continued to frown. She stopped walking and suddenly looked around the room. Then, she too, reached towards Kagome with her hand.

"Please, talk to me."

Sasara opened her mouth to speak; her lips although rosy were very chapped. Her lips moved in fluid motions, as if she was speaking, but Kagome still felt like she was on the mute button because no sound came out.

"I can't hear you," Kagome said sadly. "Please, keep trying."

Sasara seemed to repeat what she had said earlier. Sound still never came and Kagome couldn't follow her lip movement enough to lip read. She moved her mouth too fluidly.

Kagome shook her head. "I can't…"

Sasara shut her mouth immediately, forming a tight line. She frowned again and stomped her foot, as if she was angry. She glared at Kagome and pointed at her.

"I'm trying!" Kagome pleaded. "Please, don't give up on me. I want to help. I'm trying to understand…"

Sasara spoke again but when Kagome continued to give her a blank look, she threw her hands up in frustration. The mist around them swirled and then turned violent. Sasara was still standing there, her gaze steady. Her lips were taut and her body trembled.

Kagome realized that it looked like she wanted to cry. And so did she.

"I'm sorry," Kagome whispered. "I'm so, so sorry." She reached her hand out towards the ghost, wishing that she could understand. Her arm trembled even as she held it out. Part of Kagome wanted Sasara to touch it while another part of her wished Sasara would just disappear.

Sasara looked at her, her expression softening. She reached out with her hand, walking towards Kagome again. She was now only a foot away from Kagome's outstretched arm. She went to take another step forward when her eyes flew open and she spun around.

"Sasara!" Kagome cried. "What's wrong?"

Sasara turned her head, her green eyes wide with fear. Suddenly, her lips ripped apart as she screamed, mutedly, and then she disappeared, leaving Kagome shaken and terrified.

The mist dissipated and colour returned to the sights surrounding Kagome. The first thing she was aware of was the vivid brightness of the walls, the soft comfort of the mattress and pillows below her, and the screeching sound of Inuyasha and Miroku screaming her name.

Kagome fell backwards, letting the upper half of her body fall onto the mattress. Inuyasha and Miroku were beside her in seconds, Miroku on one side with Inuyasha on the other.

"Kagome, please, talk to me," Inuyasha begged, his rough hand rubbing her cheeks.

"I'm okay," Kagome said, though she noticed her voice was hoarse and barely there. "Water?"

Inuyasha gave Miroku a look and Miroku got off of the bed to fetch some. She heard his footsteps as he entered the joint bedroom, searching for a glass and bottled water.

"What happened?" Inuyasha asked. "You were screaming. I was petrified. You looked so scared and you were shaking and you didn't want me to touch you…" He was rambling and she noticed the way his hands kept moving all over her body, as if making sure every part of her was still there.

"I…I went into the grey time," she whispered. "I saw Sasara Fumito. Her ghost."

Inuyasha's amber eyes went wide. Suddenly, he leaned forward, his clawed hand under her neck and was kissing her passionately. Kagome wrapped her arms around his neck, holding him there. After a few breathless moments, she pulled away.

"I was scared," Kagome admitted. "She looked so…unreal. I'm just thankful that a ghost looks what they _should_ look like. Not bloody and beaten and broken."

Inuyasha sighed, stroking her hair. Miroku had returned with a glass of water and Kagome sat up slowly to take it from him. While she drank, Inuyasha explained what she had told him.

Miroku's eyes went wide. "Her ghost? You're a full-fledged medium? Do you know what this means?"

Kagome gulped the last of the water and sighed as she put it down. "Yes. Another psychic."

"And a strong one," Miroku added.

"How does that mean another psychic is here?" Inuyasha asked, wary.

Kagome asked Miroku for another glass of water and Miroku nodded. As he left, Kagome crossed her legs and grabbed Inuyasha's hand to hold. "Everyone has a psychic ability, remember? The vast majority of people have the ability but are never aware because they never find the 'key' or pull the 'trigger' to access it. People live and die and never know of what power they could have. Now, the minority of people happen to pull that trigger or find the key to unlock their ability. These latent abilities are usually come across after some sort of trauma."

"Like what happened with you and your father," Inuyasha pressed.

Kagome nodded. "Exactly. A very small few of this minority are born with psychic abilities, either hereditary or not. Some psychic parents have children with one of their abilities, both of their abilities, none of their abilities or an ability entirely different. This all has to do with energy and how it reacts in our brains individually. Energy is the cause of everything. The fields where people swear on their lives that they see soldiers marching is the effect of leftover energy –very strong energy– that reacts at times to produce that place's memory.

"Each psychic has their own energy field or source. Sometimes, when two different energies are in proximity of one another, they affect each other. One energy overlaps the other, or they both mix to change that individual's power. Like me, for example. Another psychic is in this hotel, and their energy is mingling with mine to evolve me. It changes me from being just a medium that only speaks to the dead to a medium that sees the dead. And somewhere, my energy is changing their abilities too."

"And is this permanent?"

Shrugging, Kagome sighed. "Sometimes, not always. It depends how strong the energy affects one another."

Inuyasha gave a crooked smile. "And what do you think?"

"There's no going back," Kagome whispered, lowering her head. "But I can't control it. She was there, Inuyasha. She was right there, trying to talk to me and tell me something… And I couldn't hear her. It was like watching television with no sound."

"Hey," Inuyasha soothed, putting his arm around her shoulders. "You will. You just need to learn to control it. You know I'll be here to help."

"And me," Miroku said, entering the room. "So what happened?"

"She was trying to talk to me," Kagome explained. "She walked close to me and tried to speak to me. I couldn't hear what she was saying, no matter how many times she said it. And then… Something bad happened." Kagome frowned, remembering the horrified look on Sasara's face when she had faced Kagome for the last time. "She turned away from me and then looked at me as if…we were in danger. Like something was going to attack us or hurt us. And then she screamed…and disappeared."

"And then you came back to us, in the real world," Miroku concluded.

Kagome nodded. "Yeah. It was all so sudden."

"Do you think you'll see her again?" Inuyasha asked hesitantly.

Kagome searched his amber eyes and found nothing but sheer compassion. He was going to stay with her, from the beginning. She remembered when they had first met, and he hadn't actually believed that she was psychic until the very end. They had a connection, the two of them did. Vaguely, she wondered if that would change too.

"I'm sure of it," Kagome murmured. "Sasara will haunt me until this is over."

"Then let's get out of here," Inuyasha told her, pulling her up. "It's late. Let's go get ice cream or something. Relax."

Miroku touched Kagome's shoulder. "You two should go. I'm going to stay here and call Sango. I want to make sure she's okay."

Kagome turned around and hugged Miroku. "Thank you," she murmured.

Miroku smiled back, his brilliant white teeth flashing. "My pleasure. Now go, you two."

Inuyasha held his hand out and Kagome took it. They walked out the door and towards the lobby. The extremely friendly receptionist greeted them as they walked past. They headed out to parking, and into Kagome's Maserati.

"So, do you like your engagement present?" Inuyasha asked, smirking.

Kagome laughed. "I love it. Thank you. So where are we going?"

"I don't know," Inuyasha shrugged. "Let's just go for a drive. Maybe we'll find a place to eat."

They drove for a while in silence, the Maserati gliding through the streets as traffic weaved by. They were used to each other's company, being together for two years. He now lived at her place in Trite, where he was Chief of police and she was a writer with many successful books. Miroku, though he had originally been staying at Kagome's house, moved in with Sango. In general, Sango and Miroku had moved a lot faster relationship wise than Inuyasha and Kagome, but since Miroku had nowhere else to live, it was slightly forced. But Miroku loved Sango, Kagome thought happily, and she hoped that their future was as amazing as she hoped.

"What are you thinking?" Inuyasha asked, turning his head to watch her expression. She was beautiful: long, wild black hair, pale face with rosy cheeks, dark chocolate eyes… He remembered when he first saw her, sitting nervously in her car with Miroku in his current seat. He had pulled her over for no reason but to see what she looked like and who she was. She had been angry with him afterwards, he had known. Just like she had been angry at him for the majority of their time together after that. But she was beautiful –_is_ beautiful– and talented and smart… And despite her baggage she had been what he wanted.

"Nothing really," Kagome said, shrugging slightly. She leaned over to check her blind spot as she switched lanes. "Do you feel like a sundae?"

Inuyasha raised a brow. "Me and food? Are you asking if I want food?"

Laughing, Kagome shook her head. "Okay, bad question. What would have been a better one?"

Inuyasha smirked but didn't say anything. Her question had been rhetorical, he knew, but he couldn't help but think of something else… Some other question…

"Are you happy?"

The question took Kagome by surprise. She frowned and spared a quick glance at his face. He looked absolutely serious, so she answered him as such. "Besides the murder?"

"Besides the murder."

She was confused, and he knew it. He analysed her face; her frown, her curious eyes. He wondered if she understood what he really meant.

"Of course, I am. What a stupid question."

"Yeah," Inuyasha mumbled, too low for her to hear. "Stupid question."

He sighed and watched the traffic slide by.

* * *

Captain Menomaru Seki walked into the Briscoe Police Department in a hurry. His office was situated across from the doors. Cubicles and other offices surrounded his, but his office was a clear, straight path from the door.

Thank goodness.

Usually, as a captain and an investigator, he had a very high tolerance level for slow moving cases. Briscoe had experienced a few murders in its time and Menomaru had dealt with most of them. He had been one of the youngest captains Briscoe had ever had, and he had held the position of captain for almost ten years.

But the lack of information that Menomaru was getting from this new murder was upsetting. He was getting nothing –_nothing_– out of what he was putting in and he was getting tired of it.

"Ruri! Hari! Get in here now please," he shouted, not angry, just frustrated.

He walked into his office quickly, sitting at his large wooden desk and banging his curled fists into it. Ruri and Hari entered simultaneously, just as they always had. They approached his desk cautiously, as Menomaru's head was already lying there.

"Are you okay?" Hari asked, wincing slightly.

Menomaru sighed. "Please tell me you have something."

"Well," Ruri started, "the boyfriend called back. His name is Takeda Kuranosuke. He's on his way to ID the body."

Menomaru looked up, his eyes glistening with the first signs of hope. "And what was he doing last night?"

"He had a boys' night out. Since Sasara was here, he went out and spent the night at a pub with a couple of friends. I can get the names when he arrives and check out his alibi."

"Do that," Menomaru agreed. "Is he bringing anything of hers for comparative DNA?"

"Yes, he said he would bring several different objects."

"Her parents?"

"Boyfriend claims they're already dead. They had her late in life and passed away less than a year ago."

Menomaru sighed. "Check in on that as well. Hari?"

She shook her head. "Nothing. As per usual, forensics is backed up out the wazoo. I put a rush on it, but so has several different stations. He said within a few days."

"Fuck," Menomaru groaned. "And what Maiho?"

"Last I heard, he was still trying to trace it. He's having trouble with the company. He's trying."

"Try harder, goddammit!"

The two sergeants looked at him with raised brows.

"Oh for fuck's sake," he cursed. He looked around his office, the neat and organized desk showing signs of dust but other than that, it was spotless. "The FBI will be in tomorrow. We have two agents coming down."

"I still think it's a bad idea," Hari pressed. "They always take over."

"But we don't have the resources to match this murder with the others. Hell, we don't even have access with the case files. It's been with the FBI for a year now. I wasn't the one that started their involvement. With the little information that I have, it matches the same M.O. And they've been looking." Menomaru shook his head. "The last thing I want is to have this messed up psychopath in my region and having the FBI up my ass when they discover it is him."

"Safe than sorry," Ruri mumbled.

"Exactly."

Suddenly, a knock came from the door.

"Come in," Menomaru yelled, watching as another officer by the name of Minori Kobayashi came in. She was tall and slender, but Menomaru had seen her train. She was extremely strong and more than capable for her size. She had long black hair that was always kept in a neat ponytail and her blue eyes were very light, with white pins in them. She entered the room and nodded towards Hari and Ruri.

"Sorry to disturb you," she said slowly, "but I have news."

"Let me hear it. It has to be better than what I've already heard," Menomaru welcomed.

Minori smiled. "I ran the background checks on every staff member of the hotel. All of them have good records. There are a few parking infractions, but other than that, spotless."

"And that's news?" Menomaru asked. "Do not come back in here if that's all you've got. I need something I can work with."

Minori's smile faltered. "I have more; hold on. None of the names rang any bells, however, since we took fingerprints I had it run through AFIS. I managed to get it slipped under the table." Her smile returned and she shrugged self-consciously. "One of the fingerprints came up to a Shinta Ren."

"And?" Menomaru probed.

"No Shinta Ren works at the hotel."

Menomaru's face changed colour. Ruri and Hari stood to the sides, exchanging wary looks. Menomaru looked like he was about to lose it, and lose it fast. His patience was so far gone that obviously, he couldn't understand the basic knowledge that Minori was providing.

"That's the point," Ruri interrupted, before Menomaru could scream.

"If no Shinta Ren works at the hotel, then why did fingerprints from an employee match him?" Hari continued.

"Exactly," Minori agreed. "The fingerprints were given from a Kai Reiko. He's one of the bellboys that currently work there. He's worked at the hotel for just under six months now. His record with his new name is spotless, but after checking Shinta's rap sheet, I understand why. He has two counts of aggravated assault in 2001, three sexual assault charges in 2003 and attempted rape in 2007."

"He's escalating," Menomaru thought out loud. "Alright, bring him in. Hari, I want you to bring me an in-depth profile on him. I want everything that you can find."

"Got it, boss," Hari said, already walking out of the door.

"Ruri, check with the doc. I want that post-mortem."

"Understood," she called as she followed her friend.

"And Kobayashi?" Menomaru started.

Minori straightened. "Yes sir?"

"Amazing work. Thank you."

She smiled one of her brilliant smiles. "No, thank you."

* * *

_They found it. Goddammit they found it._

_And they're coming._

_Fuckers._

_They just never drop it, do they?_

_And then there's that bitch._

_Fucking bitch._

_She has to die. Now._

_And tomorrow is a new day._

**Tomorrow**, **tomorrow**…

**I'll love ya**, **tomorrow**…

**It's only a day** **away**…

* * *

Kagome and Inuyasha were enjoying their time at the little café on the corner of the busy street. Briscoe was a bustling city and even as night settled in, many were still wandering the streets and shops. They sat in an isolated corner, splitting a large triple-scoop sundae with hot fudge sauce and brownies. Currently, there was only one scoop left and Inuyasha had already eaten one and a half scoops of the three-scoops ordered.

"What's wrong?" he asked, noticing her lack in eating. "You love chocolate and you've hardly touched the dessert."

Kagome sighed and leaned against the wall their table sat against. "I know, I'm sorry. I'm just…thinking."

Inuyasha tentatively reached across the table, his palm facing upwards. His amber eyes searched her chocolate ones, and he gave a crooked smile. "Show me," he whispered.

Kagome stared at his hand for a moment, wondering if it was a good idea to let him in on her thoughts. As much as she adored him, loved him with everything that she had, she sometimes wanted her thoughts to be her own. He certainly would only worry if he knew her thoughts, but as her gaze met his, she couldn't refuse.

She placed her hand on top of his.

Like always, their eyes dilated and although to onlookers it merely seemed like a staring contest, it was so much more.

Inuyasha walked through her dark mind, entering the door that she had provided for him. In it was her thoughts and what she had just been thinking about. He opened it and succumbed to the emotions.

His voice… That dark evil voice filled his ears. A song, slow and out of tune hummed in the background. It was the dead, he realized immediately. The dark voice was the voice in her dreams, the one she was sure was the killer. But he was not there currently, it was just a memory. Long and faded. And the background noise was the steady noise of the dead, always there, like a party in the next room.

Inuyasha closed his eyes, and when he opened them, he was back in the present. Kagome's hand was warm in his and he grasped it tighter.

"I won't let him hurt you," he whispered. "I'll protect you with my life. Last time…"

"There was nothing you could do," Kagome interrupted. "You were working and I was sleeping. No one had heard any trouble. There was nothing you could've done."

Inuyasha growled anyways. "He's never going to touch you. Not today and certainly not tomorrow. Never." His voice was thick with promise and determination.

And suddenly, an overwhelming sense of being taken over filled Kagome. Her mouth opened and words that were not her own, in a voice that was not her own, flew out.

"_Tomorrow, tomorrow_…_I'll love ya, tomorrow_… _It's only a day_…_**away**_…"

* * *

**Please review!**

**Also, if you like this story, I have just come out with another. I finished Loyal Traitor, and as promised, I came out with another. It's called Target Locked. I've just posted the first chapter, so please review and let me know what you think! I have more stories coming up in the future. Enjoy your March Break!**

**Target Locked Summary: **_Kagome Higurahsi has the story to make her career, but the mafia doesn't take kindly to leaks. Trapped with nowhere to go, Kagome is forced to work with FBI agent Inuyasha Taisho. Together, they are the biggest target in history. Because not only does the mafia want them dead, but the world does too. Obviously, InuKag. _


	5. Interrogations

**Let the fun begin.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha.**

_

* * *

_

_**Ordinary**_

_Chapter Four: Interrogations_

* * *

Soten Mizutani or Koryo Saeko.

It was the second day in a row that the two had been fighting over a picture. It was the second time in a row that she had confiscated it. And it was the second time that she saw that ugly face.

As the last recess bell rung, Tsuya Atsuko ushered the kids out to run around while she checked the two students' desks out. When they were all gone, she did exactly that. First, she checked Koryo Saeko's desk and his pencil case, feeling all of the pencils, one by one, until she knew what she wanted to figure out. It wasn't him.

There was…confusion and…understanding. But no pain.

Tsuya put Koryo's pencils down slowly, her eyes looking towards the desk just across from her: Soten's. When her other student's stuff was away, she spun around and pulled out Soten's pencil case. Automatically she shivered. She didn't even need to pull out the pencils. The absolute torture and pain that she felt was imminent.

She was too scared and she knew it. She didn't want to open the pencil case and feel all of those emotions, so raw and pure. She didn't want to, but she had to. She did so slowly, taking her time as she sacrificed her mind and broke down her psychic shield to read the energy signatures. Tsuya was psychic but she was gifted with two abilities. Primarily, she was an empath, which is the only reason she was able to discover that her life was in danger. She could read and understand the emotions of others without question. The only problem with being an empath was that people played up their emotions all the time. Usually she could tell if they were lying, but if that one person was so caught up in their lie that they believed it to be true, she wouldn't be able to sort the emotions out. Her second gift was psychometry, or the ability to read objects. Like everything in the world, energy surrounds us. Energy is apart of us and is who we are. Our energy, and our energy signature, can be transferred to objects that we hold. This energy that was transferred, either during a time of hurt, happiness, worry, and so on, can tell a story. Only a psychometric would be able to read it.

And she was.

So now, as she felt one by one the painful emotions of Soten Mizutani, she knew that she had to do something.

Quickly, she glanced at the clock. The bell to end recess was only a few moments away. Putting the instruments away, Tsuya ran to the phone and made a call.

* * *

Takeda Kuranosuke sat in the interrogation room all alone. In some part of his mind, he knew that this was standard protocol, that they were just checking every angle and deciding if he held any vital bits of information or not. He had watched enough CSI shows to figure that out. But even so, Takeda feared the worst. What would they ask him? Would it be personal? Of course, it would be personal. Dumb question. But would he be able to answer it? What if he couldn't?

Would he become a suspect?

Sasara always told him that he sometimes way too paranoid.

Sasara… Takeda shook his head fiercely, fighting tears he refused to shed. He wouldn't cry, he told himself, he wouldn't cry.

But he cried last night. Last night, after he had been told about what happened to his love, his life, he cried. He cried for hours, lying in his bedroom like a pitiful fool. He was weak… But everyone had to grieve, didn't they?

He loved Sasara, he still did. He always would, forever.

The opening of the door startled him out of his thoughts. In walked a tall man with sea-blue hair and bronze eyes. His face was extremely pale, almost chalky looking, and he walked in with a sombre look.

"You must be Takeda Kuranosuke," the man said quietly. "My name is Menomaru Seki. I'm the Captain of BPD, and the lead investigator on this case. I'm sorry for your loss…"

Menomaru held eye contact, watching Takeda's every move. Takeda realized that Menomaru was judging him and his reactions. When the captain looked away, he wasn't sure if that meant he passed or failed. Could he fail?

"Thank you," Takeda finally managed out. "You're going to find who did this, aren't you?"

"Of course," Menomaru said with determination. "I'm not going to let this go until I catch this monster. I was hoping," he said slowly, "that you might know something or remember something that could help."

"Anything I can do, I will do," Takeda vowed.

Menomaru nodded and consulted his notes, taking his time. "She called you," he started slowly. "She called you at ten-thirty pm the night she died; did she sound nervous at all? Worried about anything?"

Takeda shook his head. "Not at all. She was natural, just like she always is. We talked about her day, the people she met, what she was doing, how much longer until she came home, and so on. It was just a normal conversation."

"And you talked for how long?"

"About an hour and a half. I'm pretty sure we hung up just before midnight. Even then, she seemed absolutely fine. Usually she doesn't like being alone at night, just because of some stuff that happened with her parents, but as I said, she seemed okay."

Menomaru frowned. "What about her parents?"

"They used to fight a lot," Takeda said simply. "She used to stay up at night to listen to them because she was worried something bad would happen."

"And when did they pass away?"

Takeda shrugged. "Less than a year ago. Her father had a heart attack and her mother…didn't last long afterwards. They fought a lot, but I guess they loved each other."

"And where were you last night?"

"After we hung up, I promised my friends I would meet them at a bar. I stayed until two-thirty, three in the morning. I already gave Sergeant…Ruri, I believe, their names and the place I went."

Menomaru nodded and paused for a moment rationalizing the information he was given. Everything that he had said, so far, was exactly the information that they had gained. Ruri had already double-checked his whereabouts and his friends had all verified that he had been with them all night. It didn't really matter anyways because it would've been impossible for Takeda to hang up with her, fly over here, drive to Briscoe, and then kill her in at most five minutes. It just wasn't possible.

"Why was she in Briscoe in the first place?"

"She's an artist," Takeda said, his voice rough. "She came here to sell some of her paintings and try to make a connection. She does exceptionally well back home but it's still a small town, and she wanted to broaden her range."

"Who did she talk to?"

"I'm not sure. She never really said. I know she made a few deals but usually we didn't talk about her work to much. She's shy and doesn't like to put herself out there. She was supposed to be coming home –to me, so I…I…" Takeda choked up and he lowered his head painfully.

Menomaru waited patiently, sympathizing with him. He had seen a lot of loved one's cry and torture themselves over another's death. It was sad, tragic and more angering of all, potentially avoidable. If there weren't psychos in the world, people wouldn't die like this. Not with seven bloody stab wounds. At least when Takeda IDed her body, he didn't see that. He only saw her white colourless face, never to move again.

It must be hard, to see that.

Menomaru had never been put into the position. He had seen a lot of death and a lot of pain. But all of it was subject to his job. He had to see it and he had to get over it, so he pushed his emotions aside and got his job done. But none of the victims he had even been particularly close with. He knew a few offhand, meeting them once or acknowledging their presence. He knew a lot of people because of his line of work. But no victim, no matter if it was a natural death or cold-blooded death, was close enough to him to destroy him like that.

He wondered what that would be like.

But just looking at Takeda Kuranosuke, he knew that he never wanted to find out, ever. The man was sitting in a chair, alone in a room with a detective and the only thing he could do was sob. It was heartless to say that men didn't cry, or shouldn't cry, because that shows a lack in emotion, in caring. Isn't that what all women want? A man that will feel for them, love them eternally? And yet, women sometimes tended to stray from their men if they showed that sort of emotion because they were no longer the strong, stoic figure they pictured in their minds.

The world was fucked up. That was all there was to it.

"How about I come and talk to you later? Not in here, of course, you're free to go. But I'd still like to ask you a few questions," Menomaru said carefully.

Takeda looked up, tears lining his face. "I was going to propose to her," he said brokenly. "The night she got back. I made reservations at the restaurant I took her to on our first date. I bought a ring and organized everything with their manager and…" His voice faded away as he grew in memory. For a long moment, Takeda just sat there staring into space.

Menomaru was about to leave, wondering if he should or not. Takeda never really agreed or disagreed with what he had said a few moments ago. But he did speak in response to Menomaru's talking. Did that mean he wanted to finish with the questioning now? Or was Takeda just lost in thought, revelling in the painful memories? All of it was possible, especially since he was going to propose to Ms Sasara Fumito. A part of Menomaru reached out for him, but it wasn't enough because Menomaru couldn't empathize with him.

"I want to help," Takeda whispered, still staring into space. It took another moment for him to blink and focus his eyes on Menomaru. "I'll do anything."

"I believe you," Menomaru said.

"Ask me anything."

Menomaru hesitated. "Are you sure you want to continue this? If it's better for you, I would rather do this at a different time, when you're comfortable."

Takeda shook his head fiercely. "That will only take your investigation longer. Ask me now."

Just then, a knock came from the only door into the interrogation room. Officer Maiho walked in, his face flushed with excitement. "Captain, I found it. I found the trace."

"The anonymous phone caller?" Menomaru asked, turning his attention away from the broken man beside him.

"It came from the Palace Hotel, same place Sasara was murdered. I fixed it to the fifth floor. I called the hotel and matching the time with the floor level, they were able to give me a room number."

"Which is?"

"10-E. It's registered to a Miroku Tsujitani."

Menomaru smiled for what was possibly the first time in the past few days. "Good, bring him in immediately. Send a few cars. I want him in here within the half-hour."

"Yes sir," Maiho said and left the room.

Menomaru Seki stood up, gathering his papers and preparing to leave the room.

"Wait!" Takeda called. "What about my questions?"

"We'll have to post-pone them," Menomaru said. "I have a lead that will make this investigation go even faster."

Takeda sat there, dumbfounded and watched as Menomaru left.

* * *

"The signing went very well," Miroku said, relaxing in the back seat. "Which is a good thing, considering everything that's going on."

Kagome nodded, focusing on driving. She had been quiet since last night, when Inuyasha flipped out over her slip. The killer had gotten into her voice, she was sure of it, but she had convinced Inuyasha of another story. She told him that it was just the voices in her head, not the killer.

Inuyasha didn't believe her and he made that loud and clear. Kagome refused to budge from her story however, and Inuyasha wasn't happy about it. Miroku noticed the little tension that morning, when he realized that Kagome wasn't as peppy as she always was when Inuyasha was around. Miroku merely watched the two interact though didn't comment. With Inuyasha, it was usually safer that way.

"How much longer?" Inuyasha breathed, sighing as she pressed his head against the window. "I'm tired."

"You're bored," Kagome corrected. "I told you that the signing wasn't going to interest you in the least bit."

Inuyasha shot her a look. "Actually, I'm glad I was there. 'Oh Kagome, I love you! You're amazing! Are you single?' says the guy who waited since the morning to see you."

Kagome rolled her eyes. "Come on, Inuyasha. As if I would even reconsider."

Inuyasha muttered something under his breath.

"What was that?" Kagome asked, a smile playing on her lips. It wasn't a smile of happiness, either.

"Nothing," Inuyasha answered.

"Miroku?" Kagome asked.

Miroku shrugged. "I'm not getting into this lover's spat."

"I'll tell Sango about the receptionist that keeps flirting with you."

Miroku frowned. "He said 'Damn right'."

Kagome shook her head and rolled her eyes once more. She pulled into the parking lot of the Palace Hotel just as Inuyasha sighed once more.

"The police are still here," Inuyasha commented. "There're three cop cars now, not one. I wonder what they found."

"The weapon maybe?" Kagome asked.

"Or another suspect," Miroku added.

Once Kagome parked the Maserati, Inuyasha and Miroku got out immediately. They walked through the parking garage and into the Palace, scoping out the lobby. Instantly, Kagome saw four policemen look at them. They were talking to each other in hushed voices. One nodded and started to walk towards them. Soon, all four policemen were headed there way and Inuyasha cursed silently.

"Say nothing," he whispered fiercely. "No matter what, say nothing. If they interrogate you, you speak only what needs to be said, but nothing that could incriminate you, got it?"

He said it to no one in particular, but Inuyasha had a funny feeling that the Captain of BPD had finally traced the anonymous call.

"Miroku Tsujitani?" one of the policemen said.

Miroku stood forward, his face expressionless. He knew it was coming too. "Yes?"

"We'd like to bring you down to the station for some questions."

Miroku looked between the four officers and then at Inuyasha and Kagome. "Do I have a choice?"

"No," another of the policemen said. "Not exactly."

"On what grounds?" Kagome demanded, stepping forward. "You can't just take him without a reason."

"He called in the murder of Sasara Fumito, and Captain Seki would like to ask him questions regarding the call, and his knowledge."

Kagome's head was spinning. Hadn't their plan been to _not_ involve themselves with this? Of all the people that were to get involved in the murder investigation, she was the most likely. She was the one that heard the dead voices, she was the one that saw the ghost of Sasara Fumito, she was the one that wrote her murder…

But none of them knew that. None of them had any idea of what she could do. And again, she couldn't exactly tell them. Being psychic was a curse. It was so highly disbelieved that you couldn't use it for anything but your own self-torture.

"Miroku, I'll come get you, I promise," Kagome vowed.

The voices in her mind were screaming at her. Her own conscious was screaming at her. This wasn't right. Miroku shouldn't be the one to pay for her curse. He had done what he thought was right. Sasara's dead body wouldn't have been found for another two days if Miroku hadn't called. But Kagome couldn't tell them that.

She didn't know how Miroku was going to escape the situation. She didn't know how she could help him. The best thing she could do in the immediate future was to get a lawyer and prepare for the worst. Miroku wasn't under arrest, but if he couldn't provide answers, the police department would start to find ways to connect him to the murder. It was only a matter of time. Time… It was running out.

_Come find me…Please find me…Dear God, I haven't done anything wrong…Help me! Holy shit, help me!_

Kagome started shaking as the police surrounded Miroku. No one seemed to notice that she needed the chair beside her for support. The voices were screaming in her head, telling her of things she didn't want to know. Who was that voice in her head?

_Please, help me! He's going to do it again, and again, and again… I can't stop him! Please help me! Oh God, help me!_

"Help me!" Kagome screamed, her voice not her own. "Help me, please God, help me. He's going to kill again, he's going to kill again… I can't do anything to stop him… Anything! _Help_!"

Inuyasha rushed up to her the moment he heard the eerily familiar voice. He hugged her tightly and put his hand around her face, shushing her. "Kagome, Kagome look at me. It's going to be okay. Miroku's is only going to talk to the captain, he's not under arrest or in any trouble, okay?" Inuyasha was merely lying, trying to divert the policemen's attentions away from Kagome's antics.

Miroku coughed slightly. "I might as well get this over with."

The policemen lead Miroku away and soon, Inuyasha and Kagome were left in the lobby with quite a few onlookers.

"Kagome, are you okay? Kagome, come back to me love," he whispered, his face inches from hers. He kissed her softly on both cheeks, forgetting last night's situation. The only thing that mattered was what was happening here and now.

"Help me," she repeated over and over, trembling. The voices were still speaking for her, taking over her voice and her body. "Please, he'll kill again."

Inuyasha whispered comforting words as he scooped her up bridal style. She hugged him close to her and shivered uncontrollably. She still mumbled words that she didn't have the power to not say, but Inuyasha continued to speak gently to her as he brought her to the bedroom. He laid her down on the bed after struggling to open the hotel room's door and lay beside her, stroking her hair. "Who, Kagome, who?"

Inuyasha knew that he had to help Miroku, but right now, he had to take care of Kagome.

"The killer," she mumbled, her voice rising frantically. "He's coming! Oh God, he's coming! He's taking over! He –He's going to kill again, I know it. Soon. Now. I don't know. Help me!"

Inuyasha kissed her softly, over and over. "Kagome, you're safe. It's okay Kagome. I'm right here. I'm going to protect you, forever. I promise."

Kagome was silent for a moment, and Inuyasha watched as her eyes started to return to normal. Her dark chocolate eyes fixed on him more clearly. "Inuyasha?" she whispered.

"I'm right here," he mumbled. He held onto her as he watched her eyes roll to the back of her head.

Kagome passed out instantly and Inuyasha watched for a long while the rise and fall of her chest. Once he was sure that she was just sleeping, he tucked her under the covers and made a phone call. It didn't last long however, and Inuyasha returned to the sleeping Kagome confused and more worried than ever about her safety.

* * *

Miroku sat in the interrogation room without complaint. He was worried –extremely worried– about what would happen to him. However, he was terrified of facing Sango's wrath, when she found out, a whole lot more. Maybe that was a bad thing to say since the amount of trouble he was probably in was huge, but Miroku couldn't shake the thought of Sango from his head.

The door opened, and in walked the Captain of Briscoe PD. Miroku recognized him from the lobby, when they had passed by on the first day. The man held a strong presence, but there was something about him that was off. He looked to…subtle. There wasn't anything strong about him. Nothing that stood out. He was a cop, but he sure didn't look like one. Maybe that was because Miroku was used to the characters Kagome painted in his head: the police officers that were rugged, torn, and usually overcome with some sort of personal dilemma. Every story had to include a personal dilemma. It was almost impossible these days to read a book that _didn't_ include one.

"Miroku Tsujitani, correct?" the captain said, shaking him out of his thoughts.

"Yes, that's me," Miroku said awkwardly. "How can I help?"

"I'm Captain Menomaru Seki," the man said. "You can tell me why you made that phone call."

"I heard her scream," Miroku said instantly.

Menomaru shook his head, laughing. "Really? Because my men talked to every single person in this hotel and no one, even the people who admitted to being awake, heard anything."

"I have good hearing then," Miroku said casually. "I thought there was trouble."

Menomaru sighed. "You claimed in the phone call that there had been a _murder_. Do I need to replay the conversation for you? I have it right here."

"My mind got the best of me," Miroku defended himself, feeling hot all over. "I watch a lot of cop shows, plus I'm an agent for one of the best murder writers of the decade. It's bound to happen." Miroku watched the man glare at him, and his usual not-there temper suddenly flared. He wasn't under arrest for anything, so why the accusation?

"Are you _sure_ you didn't do it yourself?"

Miroku was about to yell. His temper had been reached. The captain had no right to hold him there, throwing accusations at him, although he admitted it was suspicious. Menomaru was throwing accusations wildly and Miroku was going to leave.

"It's not him," a familiar voice said and Miroku turned his head sharply, watching the intruder enter the room. Immediately, Miroku's anger dissipated.

"Sesshomaru?"

* * *

**Alright. Another end to another chapter. Things are going to come a lot more together now, with Inuyasha and Kagome in the more main plot with the sub-plots only there for added purposes. It took awhile, but I had to get things rolling. **

**Please review and tell me what you think, WitchyGirl99.**


	6. Fury

**Author's Note at the bottom.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha.**

_

* * *

_

_**Ordinary**_

_Chapter Five: Fury_

* * *

"Who the hell are you? You have no right to walk in here while I'm–"

"Interrogating someone? I thought you were only _talking_. Well then, if you are interrogating, what do we have on him?" Sesshomaru Taisho's voice filled the room and Miroku leaned back in his chair, feeling almost smug.

Menomaru glowered at Sesshomaru. "You didn't answer my question."

"I'm Sesshomaru Taisho, FBI. You requested assistance and I was put on the case. My co-worker Kagura is in the lobby, I presume. Talking to your sergeants. They were updating us on the case so far until they mentioned this little predicament."

"Predicament?" Menomaru almost choked, his fury unleashed.

Sesshomaru sighed and looked at Miroku. "How's Kagome?"

Miroku shrugged, relaxing in his chair. First, he was prepared to go to jail for covering up for her. Now, with Sesshomaru here, he wasn't afraid. Sesshomaru knew about Kagome and her past; he had been there on the first series of murders, tracking Tsubaki down from her first set of killings to her last.

"She's…managing," Miroku said at last, breaking free of the past. "She feels more useless than usual. And Inuyasha–"

Sesshomaru rolled his eyes. "I should have known. Half-breed can't stay away. And I assume he feels useless too?"

"Almost more so," Miroku replied.

"Excuse me," Menomaru cut in, seething. "But what the fuck is going on here?"

"I already told you," Sesshomaru said tediously. "He's not your bad guy. In fact, you met the exact opposite. Miroku, go and get Kagome and Inuyasha while I handle things here. I'm sure you'd all like to voluntarily help the FBI, as well as the good cops of Briscoe."

Miroku pushed himself up from the chair and looked at Menomaru. "See you around then," he said with the biggest smile on his face. He noted, as he left the room two things: first, Menomaru had the angriest, dumbest look on his face and second, Miroku's last comment had been one purely inspired by Inuyasha.

Which wasn't entirely a good thing.

Miroku smiled and waved at the sergeants, again acting like a certain half-breed. At the current moment, Miroku didn't care. He was free and no crime was put against him. Thank God for Sesshomaru, that icy bastard.

Miroku pulled out his cell phone and dialled Kagome's number.

"_Hello? Miroku? Miroku what happened?_" Kagome yelled into the phone, clearly panicked.

Miroku could hear a lot of shuffling over the line and Kagome's cries. Inuyasha's voice was caught on the speaker. He was telling her to go back to sleep, to relax… Had she had another episode?

"_Miroku?_" Inuyasha's voice sounded.

"You won't believe who's here," Miroku said smugly.

"_Sesshomaru, I know. I called him earlier, wondering what I could do legally to help you. And then he told me that he was going to be there shortly, since he was on the case. Are you okay?_"

"I'm fine. But I think our Captain of Briscoe is having a little trouble with your brother."

"_Half-brother,_" Inuyasha corrected. "_Do you need me to come and get you? Kagome's practically clawing my face off, she wants to talk to you so bad._"

"Well come here, but Sesshomaru has assigned us roles in the murder case, much to Menomaru's displeasure, I'm sure."

"_We'll be there in twenty,_" Inuyasha said.

"Oh, and Inuyasha," Miroku started, cutting Inuyasha off. "Did it…?"

There was a momentary pause, which was all the answer Miroku needed. "_Yeah, we'll see you soon. Here's Kagome._"

The 'yeah' was further proof to Miroku's guess and when Kagome melodic voice came on the phone, Miroku wished more than ever that he could save her from the voices that haunted her everyday.

* * *

Sesshomaru watched as Miroku left the room. Menomaru, sitting down on the chair ahead of him glowered.

"I hope you know what you're doing Agent Taisho."

"Special Agent," Sesshomaru corrected him, pointing his amber eyes towards the other demon. "I have one question for you."

"And what's that?"

"What's your take on the paranormal?"

Menomaru stared at Sesshomaru blankly for a long while. His mouth opened once or twice, before finally he spoke. "Is this a joke?"

Sesshomaru just looked at him.

Menomaru blew out a long breath. "I should have listened to Ruri and Hari," he muttered. "I guess I'm…open-minded," he finally replied at last to the demon. "I've never had to deal with it. Why?"

"Because you're going to now."

Sesshomaru turned to exit the interrogation room. As his cold pale fingers touched the doorknob, he stopped.

"Cursing at me isn't going to do you any good Captain Seki. I'm here to help you and solve this case. Trust me when I say that things are going to make a lot more sense in the long run."

"And the near future?" Menomaru asked. He couldn't read the expression the FBI agent's face, but Menomaru thought it hardly mattered since he hadn't seen an ounce of expression since the man walked in.

"You might want to stock up on the Vodka."

Sesshomaru left the room with no further comment and easily found his partner Kagura with the two sergeants. Kagome gave him a coy look as he approached and he could tell that she was more than amused by the two women in front of her.

"What's next to do?"

"For you or _Captain_ Seki?" one of the sergeants said.

"Sesshomaru, this is Sergeant Hari Kawakami. Beside her is Sergeant Ruri Shima," Kagome introduced.

"For Captain Seki," Sesshomaru responded.

"Shinta Ren is in interrogation. He was a bellboy that had interaction with the victim before she died. He goes by the name of Kai Reiko. However, his real name brings a lot of warrants and charges." Ruri handed Sesshomaru the folder, realizing she had no choice in the matter. The two sergeants looked at each other ruefully.

"Thank you," Sesshomaru said, putting the folder between his arm and his chest. "Kagura, follow me."

Sesshomaru and Kagura walked back into the direction that Sesshomaru came out of. Ruri and Hari were shouting at him from behind, but neither Sesshomaru nor Kagura paid any attention. Menomaru passed them in the hall leading to the only two interrogation rooms the station had.

"This way," Sesshomaru pointed, eyeing the door that read Interrogation 2.

"There is no way _you_ are going to be interrogating my arrest," Menomaru bit. His eyes seemed to have turned to a dark red and his face was flushed from the heat.

Sesshomaru stopped, glaring at the captain. "Listen. I don't have time for your bullshit. _You_ will do as I say. _I_ have power over you since _you_ handed it over to the FBI."

Menomaru stared but said nothing more.

Sesshomaru shoved the folder in the captain's hands. "Kagura and I will be in the back. Interrogate the kid and get out of there. We have more important things to do."

"Discussing the past murders," Menomaru muttered. "Got it."

"You've got fifteen minutes," Sesshomaru ordered.

As Menomaru walked into the interrogation room and Kagura and Sesshomaru walked into the office behind it, Kagura placed her hand on Sesshomaru's shoulder. "You're being difficult," she murmured, her eyes on Menomaru and the kid.

"I disagree," Sesshomaru retorted blandly. It wasn't cruel or defensive – merely fact. "He's disobeying and having difficulty being overridden. I had to put him in his place."

There were a few minutes of silence as the two special agents watched as the interrogation unfolded. The window ahead of them was one-sided and while they could see and hear everything occurring in the interrogation room, those occupying the interrogation room knew nothing of their existence.

"The kid's innocent," Kagura commented after a long while. "He's terrified. I bet he pissed his pants. But he's not overreacting. He's not trying to be something he's not. There's no lying or trademarks of any secrets. He genuinely doesn't know what happened to Sasara Fumito."

"That's all I needed," Sesshomaru murmured. He looked over at Kagura, watching her deep red eyes flicker. He opened his mouth but Kagura caught his words in her hand.

She smiled wickedly. "You can thank me later," she whispered.

* * *

Miroku waited outside of the police station patiently, breathing in the air around him, more than pleased with himself and his life. He had a loving girlfriend at home (who he missed dearly), he was well-off, had great friends, a house…and was most definitely not in jail.

Yes, today was a good, beautiful day.

"You fucking bastard. I'll kill you!"

Miroku whipped his body around, barely having enough time to blink, never mind run before being knocked over. His head smashed against the pavement. Miroku tried to open his eyes, but he couldn't really see. Black dots lined his vision, blocking out nearly everything that was vital. All he saw was a man with…brown hair?

And that was all he saw. Next thing Miroku knew, throbbing pain shocked through his system, starting at his jaw and flowing to the very tips of his toes. He could feel his body unwillingly relax, remaining subject to the violent blows.

He could hear shouting, screaming… Cries for help. The weight of the man was lifted off of his chest, but then again, with all of the pain it was hard to tell. The screams were no longer, but loud talking ensued.

"Miroku? Are you okay? Miroku, do something!"

Hands felt along his chest, shaking him gently. His body felt like it was spinning, his muscles melting, his brain fogging. How many times had he been hit?

"Miroku!"

_I have a name?_ he thought to himself wearily, before blacking out and losing all feeling and consciousness.

* * *

"Miroku!" Kagome called, her hands searching his neck for a pulse. His body had completely gone slack. She felt a strong beat on her fingers and relaxed, searching his head for any gashes or cuts.

"Kagome, is he okay?" Inuyasha's strained voice asked from behind. She could see him in the very edge of her peripherals, holding back a tall man with brown hair and blue eyes. With him, several officers including the two sergeants they had seen from earlier were restraining the man.

"Relax!" the female with blue hair hissed in the man's ear. "Stop resisting."

Another officer snuck around behind, and after a few attempts and threats, the man was finally put in handcuffs.

"We need to call 911," Kagome said frantically. "He's bleeding out the back of his head." Immediately, Kagome stripped herself of the top she was wearing and scrunched it into a ball, placing it behind his head.

A call was made on one of the officer's radios. Within minutes, an ambulance arrived and placed Miroku in their care. Kagome was about to go into the ambulance when a deep familiar voice stopped her.

"I need you here, Kagome," Sesshomaru said, forcing Kagome to turn.

"But I need to be with him," Kagome argued, shaking her head. "He was always there for me…when I was in the hospital. I have to wait for him to wake up."

"This is important. If you're as a part of this as Miroku led me to believe earlier on… You have to be here."

Kagome looked at the pavement, her mind whirling. She needed to go with Miroku. He needed to have someone there for when he woke up. However, she knew she was vital to the investigation that the Briscoe police and the FBI were looking into. She stared at the ambulance again, watching helplessly as one of the workers beckoned for her to join them.

"I'll go with him," a female voice said from behind. Kagome turned and smiled to see Kagura, her glistening red eyes shining. "I'll call you as soon as he wakes up."

"Promise?" Kagome begged. "This is entirely my fault."

"I promise," Kagura vowed. She gave Kagome's shoulder a squeeze, nodded at Sesshomaru and then stepped into the ambulance that left seconds later.

"Here," Inuyasha said, placing a blanket of warmth around her.

Without thinking, she grabbed it and put on the shirt that he had wrapped around her. Currently, she was wearing only a bra and knowing Inuyasha, he wouldn't accept other men staring at her. When she turned around to look at the officers restraining the violator, she realized she had obtained many fans.

"I'll kill them all," Inuyasha whispered in her ear. He didn't look angry, but Kagome could tell from his white-knuckled fists that he wasn't a happy camper.

Putting the shirt on quickly and giving Inuyasha a kiss on the cheek, she thanked him and grabbed his clenched hand, dragging him to meet Sesshomaru.

"I knew you couldn't turn away from an investigation," Sesshomaru said curtly to Inuyasha.

"I'm surprised you're even here," Inuyasha remarked.

"Kagura and I were assigned this case because it matches the description of a cold case we were on years ago."

"How long ago?" Kagome asked, intrigued.

"Twelve years ago," Sesshomaru answered, his amber orbs on Kagome's. It wasn't supposed to be a huge case. I had just started my own individual work in the FBI. I had finally finished my 21 week schooling, and I had finished all of my scheduled work with my trainer. It was my first case, merely a case of terrorism, or so it was thought. It turned out that it had nothing to do with terrorism and all about serial killings. I had found not one body with the same C.O.D., but five."

"And how come they were never tied before you came along? Were all of the others just…insignificant?" Inuyasha asked snarky.

"No actually," Sesshomaru smirked. "But it's a nice idea."

"You were saying?" Kagome pressed.

"The killer made a mistake with the last body. The weapon was left behind. And on it was all the blood and DNA of those victims. He killed every single one of them with the same knife, and never once cleaned it."

"Sasara was stabbed," Kagome agreed. "Seven times."

"Let's talk inside," Sesshomaru ushered, looking at the man in handcuffs. He lowered his voice until it was barely audible. "That's Takeda Kuranosuke. Sasara's boyfriend."

"That makes sense," Inuyasha muttered under his breath, watching as the two sergeants took the man in. "He saw Miroku being taken in and automatically jumped to conclusions."

"Seeing the man who might have killed your girlfriend walk free could stir some sick feelings," Kagome agreed.

The three of them walked back into the police station, where they came face-to-face with Captain Menomaru Seki.

"Our room?" Sesshomaru asked curtly.

"Third on the right," Menomaru said quickly, pointing it out. "Are we going in for discussion?"

"We might as well," Sesshomaru concluded, his amber eyes lingering towards the door. "I'll update Kagura later."

"So we're discussing all of the murders?" Inuyasha asked.

"And Kagome's interpretations," Sesshomaru finished. "We need everything that we can get to catch this bastard. I've lost him once. I'm not going to lose him again."

They entered the mediocre-sized room that contained one long table and a large cork board that covered an entire wall. On the table, several boxes were stacked, all of them labelled with a name and serial number.

"This is all the information on the past murders."

Inuyasha stopped just short of the table and whistled. "That's a lot of information."

"There was a lot of detail," Sesshomaru pointed out. "The murders are incredibly well set up. There're plenty of tiny details that surround the body. Little tidbits of DNA that forensics can't pull anything off of. Tons of information and all of it is worthless."

"There has to be something," Menomaru murmured, looking at the boxes. "No one is perfect. There must be something on him."

"Regardless, we have that now," Sesshomaru said, looking at Kagome.

Kagome lowered her head, her dark raven bangs covering her face. "I…don't know what I can give you. The voices and I haven't been close for the past few years."

Inuyasha turned around, reaching his hand to her waist. "You're fine. You'll do fine," he murmured soothingly. "You've done this before, remember? And we caught her. Sesshomaru's just going to ask you a few questions, alright?"

Kagome watched Inuyasha's amber eyes flicker. They were trained on her, watching her intently. She sighed, relaxing at his touch and letting down her psychic wall. Inuyasha was there anyways. He was her lifeline, her saviour. He wouldn't let anything happen to her. She lowered her eyes to the floor again, knowing that even if she didn't want to hear the voices, to feel their pain… She would to help.

_You're safe, Kagome._

"I know," she whispered.

Inuyasha frowned, his head tilting. "How does that answer…?" He trailed off, unable to understand. "I asked if it was alright if Sesshomaru asked you questions."

"But then you told me I was safe," Kagome added.

"No."

"Yes," Kagome argued, confused.

Menomaru was beside them, shifting uncomfortably. "What's going on?"

"She's psychic," Sesshomaru said simply. "Kagome, this is Captain Menomaru Seki. Captain, this is Kagome Higurashi."

Menomaru realized that this was the open-minded part of his job. His bronze eyes focused on the small girl in front of him. "You're staying at the Palace," he said finally.

Kagome nodded. "It wasn't Miroku who heard Sasara. It was me. He was protecting me."

"But how?" Menomaru asked. "What room number?"

Kagome paused momentarily. "9E."

"That's still two floors difference," Menomaru said. "People on floor D heard nothing. How could you hear?"

"She hears…differently," Inuyasha intervened, watching Kagome as she seemed to grow smaller. The voices had left her for so long… Her psychic shield was down; he felt it. She was slowly draining.

Menomaru waited patiently.

"Sit down," Kagome gestured, looking at the seats. Her legs felt weak, but she didn't want anyone to know. "And I'll explain everything."

Everyone but Sesshomaru sat down, since the demon was pulling out pictures and information to put on the corkboard. He had heard the story anyways.

"I'm a medium with an extra ability," Kagome started. "A medium is someone who sees the dead. At first, I could only hear them in my head but after Sasara's death, I could…see. The spirits, I mean."

Sesshomaru stopped dead at that. "See? You mean you've seen ghosts?"

"Spirits," Kagome corrected. "And only one."

Sesshomaru looked at Menomaru, who looked at Kagome. "Sasara Fumito."

Kagome nodded. "Yeah, Sasara. Anyways, the night she was murdered, I...heard her."

"You still didn't answer my question," Menomaru pointed out quietly. "How did you hear?"

Kagome sighed, tracing patterns on the clothes she wore mindlessly. Memories of three years past haunted her. She remembered how she had lied to Inuyasha, not telling him about the stories. This time would be different.

"I'm a novelist," Kagome started, slowly. "As the…murder occurs, I write their life story including their death. But it's not all that helpful."

She glanced up finally at the captain. "There are only vague details, all of which I'll give. I could give you the story but it's over three-hundred pages of Word."

Inuyasha smirked slightly. "It's not worth your time," he told Menomaru. "Take it from someone who knows."

Menomaru nodded. "So let's go over the past and work our way to the present. Who are the six past victims and why do they match?"

Sesshomaru finished placing the last bit of information under a post-mortem picture of the sixth victim. "All victims are female. The first, Mari Kan, died in her suburban home, in her bedroom, with a single stab wound to the heart. The other victims are similar. They died in bed, either at a hotel, home or apartment. There are no ties to hair, eye or skin colour. Height is between five-foot-two and five-foot-nine. Weight varies from victim to victim. It would appear to be random to most–"

"Without the connection of the murder weapon," Inuyasha finished. "But what are the other connections? They die in bed, all have stab wounds but the number increases as the victim pile does…"

"Love."

All eyes turned towards Kagome. Menomaru, Sesshomaru and Inuyasha watched her; amber and bronze as one. Kagome took a deep breath and sighed, allowing Inuyasha to go through her mind. She mentally read to him her story, going through the telephone conversation that Sasara had before her death. That every victim had before their death.

The voices sang to her their songs of death.

"Fuck," Inuyasha muttered, pulling back out. His eyes hadn't returned to normal when he stared at Menomaru and said, "This just got a lot more complicated."

* * *

**Author's Note: I haven't updated this story in a long while because I haven't felt the need to rush. I do have a busy life (but so does everyone, I assume) and the biggest reason I update is because people want me to. Everyone wanted this story to come out but I got more reviews for the one _Sneak_ _Peek_ chapter in Imaginary than I do for just one of these chapters. I know it's a bit slow now, but it takes time to incorporate Kagome and Inuyasha into the police investigation. If I did it in the first few chapters, it wouldn't have been as realistic. For those of you that continuously review this story and all of my other stories, I give you tons of love and hugs. You're the reason I continue writing and I can't thank you all enough for it.**

**Please review. I am continuing this story (no worries) and check out my new story Beauty Killed the Beast. No murders but definitely action after the first chapter. There has to be some sort of introduction unfortunately.**

**Thank you!**


	7. Deadly

**Sorry this took so long. Writer's block sucks.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha.**

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* * *

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_**Ordinary**_

_Chapter Six: Deadly_

* * *

"What do you mean 'more complicated'?" Sesshomaru immediately responded, speaking to Inuyasha but watching Kagome.

"She just found another connection," Inuyasha replied. He too watched Kagome as she grew paler, her eyes more dilated but fixated on the blank wall in front of her.

Ever so slowly, her head tilted to the side, her eyes as wide as saucers. "Love. Love, love, love, love, love, love. It's everywhere, isn't it?" Her head turned to face Inuyasha. "Even…._you_. You. Love. HER! ME!" Kagome shook her head furiously.

"What the _fuck_ is going on?" Menomaru asked, his voice high in panic. "What's she doing?"

Inuyasha ignored the captain. "Only you," he murmured. "But what about love? Why is love important?"

"Because it makes them fucking vulnerable," Kagome sang in a singsong voice, her tone feather light. "They give away their heart, break down their walls, and _snap_. It's just way too easy."

"Easy how?" Sesshomaru asked.

Instead of answering, Kagome started rocking back and forth in her chair. Her lips trembled but her eyes remained wide and focused on Inuyasha's face. "Do you want to hear a song?"

Menomaru sighed. "Why the fuck not? Go ahead."

Kagome took a deep breath, and then closed her eyes. "_And when I see you again, it'll be with arms wide full of love. And I'll see you again; it'll be the day I live for, even when I'm dead. With arms full of love, I'll hold you and kiss you. Love you forever until death do us part, and death will do us part, for I am long, long, dead. I am…_"

And that's when she started screaming.

Her voice, so loud and piercing, sent chills down the three males' spines. They all focused on her, watching as she threw herself onto the table, opening boxes. She ripped a few pictures and papers, tossed around bags and pads, until she finally found what she wanted.

Sergeants Ruri and Hari opened the door suddenly, causing Kagome to turn around.

"Get out of here!" Sesshomaru roared, glaring at the two.

But it was too late. Kagome leapt from the table and started to attack them. Ruri was clawed in the face, and Hari tried desperately to push her off as she shut the door. Even when the sergeants managed to escape the room, Kagome continued to scream viciously as she punched the door.

Inuyasha ran up to her, grabbing her arms and pinning them behind her.

"Let _go_!" she yelled.

"Kagome, focus. Stop Kagome, stop," he ordered. He tried to sound calm but even Menomaru could hear the note of panic in it.

After a few moments, Kagome's body froze. Inuyasha understood it as she had given up and slowly started to release her arms.

"Kagome? Are you okay? Talk to me," he whispered, his hand on the small of her back. "What do you hear?"

"Death," she whispered back, but the voice wasn't her own. It was the sound of thousands of voices, speaking out of one mouth, one body.

And that's when she lost it again. She threw herself against the room, her body smashing heavily into the nearby wall. She crawled, desperate even as Sesshomaru, Inuyasha and Menomaru made a move to grab her. She clawed at the table until she was on it, grabbing a pad of paper and pen to scribble furiously on.

"Kagome, stop it. Tell me what's happening," Inuyasha asked calmly, watching as the woman he loved slowly fell apart. "What's going on?"

But she didn't listen. Instead, her handwriting filled the page, line by line, as she wrote what looked to be a story.

"Com-put-er," Kagome bit out, her voice choppy. It sounded like it took every ounce of energy she had to say it.

"Get her a laptop, now," Inuyasha yelled, looking at Menomaru.

Without waiting he left the room, the door slammed behind him.

"What's she doing?" Sesshomaru asked, walking towards the two.

"She's writing another story," Inuyasha said, looking grave. "Another murder is occurring."

* * *

_Fucking bitch, go die._

_Rot in hell._

_Burn._

_Scream for me._

_This is what you get._

_This is what you get for falling._

_You fucking bitch._

_You don't deserve to be who you are._

* * *

It was then that Menomaru ran in, a laptop in hand. He had managed to walk in the moment Inuyasha finished his sentence. "What did you just say?" he asked, panicked.

"Another murder is occurring," Sesshomaru said calmly. "Now sit down."

"What the fuck do you mean 'sit down'?" Menomaru yelled. "Someone else is being murdered at the hands of that bastard and all you tell me to do is sit down?"

Inuyasha, hands on Kagome's back, turned his head to glare at Menomaru. "Do you know where this bastard is? Who he is? Who he's killing? Where he's killing?"

For a long moment, Menomaru glared back at Inuyasha, challenging him.

"Do you?" Inuyasha repeated.

"No," Menomaru struggled out. "No, I don't."

"Then it's already too late," Sesshomaru answered. "Those are the answers we need, and our killer always kills on the first strike. It's a stab wound so deep, it's not possible to save. Even if we knew where, we wouldn't make it on time."

Kagome had already booted up the laptop, and her head flew back and forth as she copied what was on the paper to the Word document. The moment she finished, her fingers flew over the keyboard and Inuyasha, who was reading out loud to the group, had trouble keeping up.

"Inuyasha, just stop," Sesshomaru finally cut in, stopping his half-brother. "None of this detail is helping us. Nothing of what she's typing is anything new. The location isn't even mentioned and you're already at the part of her death."

"So what do we do?" Menomaru asked dismally. "What can we do?"

"I'm going to call Kagura. Inuyasha, you stay with Kagome. Menomaru, speak with your staff. For the believability purposes, it would be best not to mention the fact you know a murder is occurring. Just tell them to be prepared, and that any suspicious information should go directly to either of us. I'm going to continue pulling up the stats."

Menomaru nodded and left the room, followed by Sesshomaru.

"Dammit," Inuyasha whispered, rubbing Kagome's back. "Come on love, you can make it."

He just hoped that she could hear him. But as she typed on her keyboard, millions of little clicks filled his ears and he knew that she couldn't.

Because Kagome wasn't there anymore.

It was the dead letting their voices be heard.

* * *

Momiji Kikuchi wasn't found until the next day.

Her body was torn to shreds, her stomach a heaping mess of blood and guts. Part of her body was ripped open, black blood clotting and covering the ruptured organs underneath. It was a gory sight, and it was not one that anyone wanted to see.

Eight stab wounds.

She was the eighth fucking victim.

Menomaru shook his head fiercely as he turned away from the body. "What can you tell me Asuka?" he asked, speaking to the coroner below him.

"Do you even want to hear it?" she asked quietly.

Menomaru grimaced. "Not really, but go."

Asuka, the MD in the county, sighed as she tilted the victim's head. "Damage seems localized to the stomach and chest. One stab wound to the heart, the rest covering from her groin to jugular. For now, COD is a pretty obvious conclusion but I can't be for sure until I bring her back." There was hardly any clothing to deal with as most of it had been removed. The bed sheet that lay below her body was covered in blood, but strangely folded, as if she were never under them. "According to her liver temperature, she's been dead less than a day. I'd say twelve, thirteen hours."

Menomaru nodded. It was still early in the morning, only eight o'clock. The maid called the moment she found the body, and the terrified woman was still having trouble calming down. From what he could gather, she had come into the house at seven, and when she entered the master bedroom to clean it, she had found the lady of the house there.

Suddenly, Ruri appeared from behind him. "I just finished talking with the maid. She doesn't know all that much. She came to work at seven because usually the Mr and Mrs are gone by six-thirty. She knows where they work, but not their specific jobs. Hari is trying to gain contact with the husband now. Mrs. Kikuchi has been married to Mr. Kikuchi for ten years. ID names her as Momiji Kikuchi, age thirty."

"There aren't any vehicles in the driveway," Menomaru stated.

"The maid says they have two. One for the Mr and the other for the Mrs."

"So where is the Mrs's car?"

Ruri shrugged. "We can put out an APB. The maid gave the make and model."

Menomaru nodded. "Do that. If this bastard took it, I want to find out what he did with it."

"But why would he need it?" Ruri asked. "It doesn't make sense. There has never been any sort of transportation used for any other murder. Why now?"

"Kikuchi has been dead what, thirteen hours at most?" Menomaru asked, looking at Asuka who nodded. "Kagome started writing the story at seven, which means that either Mr. Kikuchi didn't come home…"

"Or he did," Ruri caught on. "And maybe our killer was interrupted."

Menomaru sighed. "I'm calling Inuyasha. Get Hari to update me ASAP. I want to know if the husband fucking came home last night."

Roaring out the last few words, Menomaru snapped open his cell phone and dialled the number he had programmed into it earlier.

"_Hello_?" a distinct female voice answered.

"Kagome? Is Inuyasha there?" Menomaru asked.

"_Yeah, hold on I'll get him_."

"Wait," Menomaru cut in, his mind racing. "Do you remember the stories after you write them?"

Kagome made a humming noise on the other end. "_Every detail. Why?_"

"Was our killer interrupted while he was killing the victim?"

"_You mean Momiji_?"

Menomaru shivered, feeling the effects of something greater taking hold. While Kagome had her breakdown, going into what Inuyasha phrased as 'automatic writing', Menomaru had just watched. Whenever he could escape, he would. Did he believe in psychic powers? He wasn't too sure. But Kagome couldn't have known the name otherwise and to that, Menomaru gave her respect. If an FBI agent believed in her, and a chief believed in her, he guessed he had to too.

Kagome continued. "_Not…really. She was already long dead. He had finished stabbing her eight times and then he pulled his knife out of her. He stared at her for a long time and he went to…reach for something…_" Her voice trailed off.

"Kagome?" Menomaru asked. "Are you there?"

"_Go to the bed_," Kagome ordered on the other end.

Menomaru did as he was asked and let her know.

"_Near the footboard, imagine someone on their knees facing the victim. Now where the knees should have been there should be blood_. _A single drop._"

Finding the spot, Menomaru felt giddy. "Is that our killer's blood? Because if–"

"_It's not_," Kagome interrupted, destroying all hope. "_But it's a mistake and a clue_."

"How?"

"_The blood that fell was from the knife. The killer usually makes short, aggravated sentences when he kills, which is written in the story. However, the victim usually pulls at their senses – like smell. Momiji smelt bleach. I think our killer cleans his knife now and if he stabs her to the hilt, where trace collects…_."

"We just might be able to get trace from the bleach in the blood. Maybe it's a unique manufacturer. Hell, it's a long shot," Menomaru said but smiled. "But it's the only shot we have."

When the call ended, Menomaru swore softly. "Son of a bitch," he murmured to himself. Then, after a moment of waiting he shouted, "Where the hell is forensics?"

* * *

"Who was that?"

Kagome turned around and smiled, leaning back on the chair in their discussion room. Inuyasha had just finished organizing some files while Sesshomaru and Kagura had gone to get food and coffee for everyone. The call of a suspicious disappearance had alerted the department, and Menomaru had called in everyone that morning.

"Captain Menomaru," Kagome said. "Did you hear?"

Inuyasha nodded, smirking somewhat. "All those murder mystery novels sure help, don't they?"

Shrugging, Kagome answered, "A bit. I mean I understand the process of forensics and police work better. Like the idea of trace and toxins and so on."

"Did you call Sango last night?" Inuyasha asked.

"Yeah," Kagome responded. "She didn't take Miroku's current condition very well. But I told her that he was awake and fine with only a few bruises."

"That wouldn't calm Sango down."

Kagome sighed. "I know. I had to remind her that she had to stay there."

Sesshomaru and Kagura walked in at that moment with coffees and bags in hand.

"Here we go," Kagura heaved, placing down the bags on the table. "Dig in. We got a little of everything."

Kagome picked a bagel from one of the bags and a coffee from the tray. "So what are we doing?"

"When you and Inuyasha left last night, Menomaru had a very detailed discussion with me," Sesshomaru started, his voice expressionless. "First about you and the idea of psychics but later it went on to the victims and we discussed all the stats. So we should go over them so you two aren't left behind."

"Let's start with Mari Kan," Kagura started, going to the board with a coffee in hand. "Brown hair. Grey eyes. Twenty-eight years old. She was a paralegal for a small firm in the city. From what we concluded she left work just after six and walked to her apartment. She was found stabbed to the heart – the COD – in her bed. There are signs of a struggle near her entrance way but no evidence to convict or suspect anyone. Going with Kagome's theory, she did have a boyfriend, who had been on a business trip down south."

Kagome made a noise. "Do you have any notes from the interview with him?"

Kagura handed her a stack of papers. "Somewhere in there. Now, neither Sesshomaru nor I worked this case because we only found it through DNA sources on the killer's knife."

"By the way," Inuyasha said. "Kagome found something that could be helpful. The husband walked into the house when the killer had finished stabbing our victim. Because of it, he jolted and blood dripped onto the bed. Apparently bleach was involved, so we might get some trace from the blood."

"What happened to the husband?" Sesshomaru asked, eating his sandwich.

"It just ends," Inuyasha responded. "He kills her and watches her die. He jolts when the husband enters and he thinks of something that makes him laugh."

"Laugh?"

Inuyasha nodded. "It doesn't say what."

"Here!" Kagome called out. She read from the document of the interview. "'I can't believe it. I loved her so much. I shouldn't have gone but I needed the money. I just bought an _engagement_ ring and I wanted to pay the credit card bill off before she could see it.'" Kagome smiled brilliantly.

"So he was going to propose," Kagura shrugged. "What's the point?"

"So was Takeda – Sasara's boyfriend. _Love_ is the connection. _Marriage_ is what bonds the love between two people. Our killer is targeting those not yet married but to-be engaged."

"Or already engaged," Sesshomaru cut in. "The second victim was already engaged. Her wedding was only a month away."

"He picks his targets well. He has to stalk them for weeks," Inuyasha muttered. "To know that they're engaged is easily distinguished by a ring but he has to find them when they're vulnerable in their bed."

"When the partner's either away or at work," Kagura finished.

"So he's evolving," Sesshomaru concluded. "This murder was only separated by forty-eight hours. Sasara was killed this past Sunday and our new vic died Tuesday. He's stalking several women instead of just focusing on one."

"Her name was Momiji Kikuchi," Kagome said quickly, preferring her name to the label of victim. "She was only thirty. That's four years younger than me. She barely lived."

For a long, long moment, nothing was said because only silence could explain it all.

"I'm going to phone Menomaru and see when he's returning," Sesshomaru said suddenly, breaking the heavy silence.

"I'll come too," Inuyasha jumped in, sliding out of his chair and following his half-brother out of the room. Shutting the door behind him, Inuyasha walked quickly towards Sesshomaru, trying to catch up with the demon. "Sesshomaru, I need to talk to you."

Sesshomaru stopped and turned to face Inuyasha. "Okay."

"In private," Inuyasha murmured, looking around at the officers bustling from one place to another.

Rolling his eyes, Sesshomaru walked to the front door and left the building. He pulled out his keys and unlocked the doors to his car. "Is this private enough?" he said tirelessly.

Inuyasha merely got in the passenger seat, sighing heavily as he ran clawed fingers through his silver mane. When Sesshomaru was in the car, Inuyasha looked around before turning.

"I have a problem," he started.

"Just one?" Sesshomaru shot back.

Inuyasha growled. "Fuck you," he spat but pulled out his cell phone.

"Inuyasha, if you're trying to pull some trick you better cease, because I will surely kill you."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes but continued to search for something on his phone.

"Inuyasha–"

"Here!" Inuyasha shot out desperately, turning his phone around so that Sesshomaru could look at the tiny screen. On it was a not-so-perfect picture with a deadly glare and a lot of white.

"What the hell is it?" Sesshomaru asked.

Inuyasha looked at the phone himself, placing a finger on the screen. "A ring."

Sesshomaru could feel his body tense. "A ring?"

"Yeah," Inuyasha said slowly. "You know. The kind of ring that you hide in a sock, in your sock drawer, in your place back in Trite because you know your significant other wouldn't go looking there."

Sesshomaru bit his bottom lip on the inside. "That kind of ring."

"A fucking _engagement_ ring!" Inuyasha yelled suddenly, smashing his phone down on his leg. "Fuck this bullshit," he cursed. "At first, I had no idea why Kagome was somehow connected to this murder. There seemed to be no reason, no strings…"

"Just diamonds," Sesshomaru said quietly.

"Yeah," Inuyasha answered softly, as if he was slowly draining away into nothing, fading into the background. "Diamonds."

Sesshomaru closed his eyes because the connection was now all too clear.

"And yet again, Kagome's a target."

* * *

**Connection made! Woo. Okay. I more or less have the next chapter plotted out so it shouldn't take long. Reviews help :)**

**Also, on my profile I have two stories that I'd like to complete on FanFiction (along wit the stories already published), so please feel free to tell me which one you prefer or what you would like to see next.**

**Until next time!**


	8. Found You

**To every single reviewer. I can't thank you enough.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha.**

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* * *

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_**Ordinary**_

_Chapter Seven: Found You_

* * *

There was something crawling on her skin.

It was cold, wet and smelt of rotting and despair. Her skin tingled, gooseflesh appearing within seconds and a slow, agonizing shiver trembled down her spine.

Kagome had to do everything that she could to keep from screaming.

Ever so slowly she turned around, her body no longer looking at Inuyasha's sleeping form but towards the hotel room's door. Only when she looked at the door, she was looking through something else.

"Sasara?" Kagome whispered, her lips trembling. This was a nightmare if there was one. The ghostly image of the dead woman was leaning over her, her awkward angle no longer awkward since balance was of no importance. Her long blonde hair had fallen past her shoulders and her green eyes were dilated. She smiled sweetly, her eyes pleading for Kagome to relax.

Taking a few shaky breaths, Kagome smiled back. "I'm not used to this, that's all," she said, focusing her attention on the ghost. "It's not you, really."

Sasara seemed to be pleased at that and straightened up. Her mouth moved slowly and Kagome could see that she was speaking, but she still couldn't hear. Kagome shook her head, taking another deep breath. The voices in the very back of her mind were screaming and although Kagome had tried so hard to push them away, she let them consume her now. If she couldn't talk to the dead, the voices in her head probably could. She felt the loss of control and her limbs moved without her awareness. She could hear her heart beat fade as it slowed down. The dead didn't have beating hearts.

"Sasara," Kagome forced out of her mouth, surprised when the voices didn't say more over her. "Try again."

Sasara looked uneasily at her, as if she had somehow become tainted. Her wariness increased as she looked around the room, searching the walls, staring at doors…

"You're safe," Kagome whispered. "You're not in danger."

How could a spirit be in danger? Kagome thought it not possible, that Sasara's movements were automatic from her human life. Even as these thoughts occurred to her, Kagome felt the voices, so strong and sure consuming her mind, were not taking control. They were there, but not running her body. She was still in charge. The threat that once was seemed to perish; Kagome felt her power surge when she realized that the voices couldn't hurt her. She could use them to her advantage.

Finally, Sasara sat down on the bed where Kagome lay. Her figure seemed to float just above the sheets, but Kagome didn't stare hard enough to be sure. "He'll kill me," she whispered. "He'll kill you."

Kagome nodded. "I know. Who did this Sasara? Who hurt you?"

Sasara's eyes flew wide and she looked around the room hurriedly. "He's coming!" she whispered anxiously. "I have to go." Suddenly, she looked at Kagome with hard eyes and started to sing. "_I am the dead. And you, the living. Breathe me back my soul and I will take you to a faraway place called home_."

And then, she disappeared.

* * *

Tsuya was glad when the bell for lunch rang and her children jumped out of their seats, rushing to go to the cafeteria and eat their lunches. The only reason that she was happy, was because she was finally going to meet Soten Mizutani's parents. Soten, the child who was being tormented by the evil face and vibrations, was declining in school. She slept often, didn't do her homework, and when she did make any sort of scene, it was because her friend Koryo was bugging her and she was screaming for him to back off. Frequently, the young girl swore words that Tsuya was ashamed of and no matter what punishment Tsuya gave her, her attitude didn't change. Something was deathly wrong with the child, and as a teacher and friend, Tsuya knew she had to help.

Soten's father, Mr. Mizutani, arrived five minutes after the bell. He was sharply dressed and his expression was tight. He shook Tsuya's hand as she introduced herself. He took a seat across from her desk, his arms laying on the arms rests. Tsuya could tell immediately that he was a very concerned, but very devastated parent. She read his beginning emotions and tucked the information away for later. She had to get down to the bottom of Soten's pain and violence.

"I'm sorry, my wife couldn't make it. Someone called in sick and she had to work a double," Mr. Mizutani said. "But please, tell me what's going on."

"I can assure you Mr. Mizutani that Soten is a very intelligent girl. She works hard and is always very social in class. Why I called you here today is because all of these things are changing. She seems to sleep more in class than be awake. She doesn't do her homework and struggles in class now. Not only that, but I fear that Soten is isolating herself. She refuses to play with her friends and instead, draws outside alone."

"Drawing?" Mr. Mizutani asked, his face crumpling into a frown. "She doesn't like to draw."

Now that was a strange development. "She draws every day in my class. She has since the beginning of the year. Do you know what could be wrong with her? Any family issues or troubles?"

Mr. Mizutani gave her a sharp look but Tsuya spoke up again before he could respond. "And I merely mean about a recent death in the family or argument."

He shook his head slowly. "Not for a long while and Soten was always very happy."

"What's she like at home now? Do you see her doing homework?"

All of a sudden, Tsuya felt waves of embarrassment rolling off of him. He was embarrassed, angry and suddenly, determined to leave. His mind screamed the words 'leave now' and Tsuya knew she only had a matter of time.

"Both my wife and I work full time. We don't usually see her until after dinner. She has a nanny, who she is close with, and she's responsible for working with Soten on her homework."

Ah, one of those parents. Not that there was anything wrong with parents like that. A lot of parents couldn't help it but she could tell, just by the emotions rolling off of Soten's father, that there was more to the nanny's responsibility. It was her responsibility to make sure that Soten didn't need them for anything, so that they could be left alone to work, sleep and then wake up to do it all again.

He looked at his watch. "Well I do have to be going. I have another meeting. Thank you again for coming to talk to me." His tone was very polite as he stood up to shake her hand.

Tsuya thanked him for coming and smiled. "I'm just concerned for her."

"And I'm grateful for that," he said with a smile that didn't reach his eyes. He felt around in his pants pocket and finally pulled out a white shiny card. "This is my business card. It has my cell phone, pager and email. If there's anything that I can do, please give me a call and let me know."

"I will," Tsuya said, making a note to keep his card. "Thank you for your time."

And with a wave, he was off. Their conversation hadn't last longer than ten minutes and there was still so much time left before class. She had hoped that the wife had been there, since nothing was coming off of the father. Was it the mother making Soten this way? Or, with her new information, was it her nanny? Tsuya knew she had to find out.

Grabbing her cell phone, Tsuya rested her head in her hands after she dialled the most familiar number in her world. A few rings later and she sighed. "Hi Nobunga, is this a bad time?"

Before she could even listen to his response, angry screaming came from down the hall. Suddenly, the door burst open and Soten appeared, her small angelic face contorted in rage.

She shrieked and grabbed a marker from her desk.

"Soten, what's wrong? Take a deep breath and calm down. What's wrong?" Tsuya asked repeatedly, trying to get through to the little girl.

Instead of answering, the little girl uncapped the marker and lunged at Tsuya, who fell back on the floor. She grasped the little girl and forced her up, but not before being attacked by the marker. Holding Soten on the ground to restrain her, Tsuya talked soothingly to the child. She knew if she called the father right now, things could either get better or worse. She thought about it, wondering what she was to do.

"_Tsuya? Are you okay?_" shouted Nobunga, her love, on the phone. She picked it up and told him that she would call him later.

Leaving Soten on the floor for a minute, she realized that the girl was back to silence, and her eyes never strayed from the floor, even when she talked to her. "Let's wash your hands," Tsuya suggested, knowing that black marker all over her would look suspicious. There was a sink and mirror in the classroom, and Soten let herself be taken away. Tsuya turned on the tap and watched her clean herself off.

It wasn't until she looked into the mirror that she realized that she would need to too. The number ten was scribbled in big, ugly letters.

"Why ten?" she asked Soten quietly, wondering what was going on.

"Bye, bye," the little girl whispered and smiled wickedly in the mirror.

* * *

"Enjoy your stay."

She was very good at her job. So good, in fact, that she was able to hide the sarcasm from every compliment, every meaningful sentence, and every pleasant thought. She hated being here most days, but her co-worker was having some problems and she was forced to stay. Miserable jackasses.

She sighed and rubbed the back of her neck. It was always so tense and tight. And her headache was back. It pounded from the back of her skull, throbbing all the way to the front.

"You okay, Mariya?" a soft voice asked and Mariya turned around, her hand falling from her neck and smiling.

"Yeah, I'm okay," she said, sighing. "Just another headache."

"You get them so often," the other receptionist said, frowning a little. "Do you want some aspirin?"

"Sure." Not like it ever helped anyways. Mariya Mashina always got headaches, and they were powerful and painful. Sometimes she had to be bedridden with all of the lights off. It could be difficult.

While the receptionist got her the aspirin, Mariya stared out at the lobby, memorizing the faces. It was something she often did, to stop the boredom. It was amazing what you could learn about a person from just watching. Suddenly, she turned to see a familiar man entering with a gorgeous smile and perfect hair.

She sighed again.

He was smiling and waving awkwardly at someone, his face tight with pain. A male with silver hair waved back and then disappeared out the door. When the silver-haired man left, he approached the desk and smiled. "I was told to pick up my key from here," he said smoothly.

"Oh, of course," Mariya said, smiling widely. "Just hold on." She disappeared for only a moment before returning to him, his key in hand. "Room 10-E?"

"Yes," he answered.

She handed him the key. Mariya distinctly remembered their old conversation and lightly touched her left ring finger, making sure the band wasn't there. "Your name is Miroku, right?"

He smiled. "That it is. And yours?"

"Mariya," she smiled. "I thought you were here with another woman?"

"Oh, that's my best friend. Her boyfriend just showed up a few days ago, you probably remember him. Loud, angry... He didn't like paying for his stay." Miroku sighed.

"Oh. Yeah. Him."

Miroku laughed. "Anyways, I should head up. Rest the shoulder."

He started walking away, and Mariya knew she couldn't let him slip away. "Miroku?"

He turned around, and she swore she saw a grimace on his face. It was quickly turned to a look of innocence, but it made her hold her tongue anyways. "If there's anything you need, just let me know," she added quickly and then turned back to her computer at the front. She had to stop this and calm down.

She was married for fuck sake.

* * *

"Kagome, why are you here?" Menomaru's voice was thick with grief. Another girl was dead at the hands of this bastard.

Kagome gave a small smile, only the side of her mouth twitching. From behind her, Sesshomaru appeared, looking at the sheriff. "I brought her here. Sometimes she can pick things up from the crime scenes."

"Really?" Menomaru turned around and shrugged. "She was murdered in her bedroom, but I guess you already know that."

Kagome nodded and put a small delicate hand on his shoulder. "We'll catch him," she whispered gently. "I promise we'll catch him."

"Can you read minds too?" Menomaru asked sarcastically.

Kagome dropped her hand and walked towards the house. "You know it," she called back to him, not looking at this face. She headed into the house, passing the coroner's assistants and forensics team. The house looked fairly creepy, truth be told, and she immediately felt the presence of some_thing_ else. Something evil.

**You don't deserve to be who you are. **The voice filled the room, screaming in her ears. She continued walking towards the bedroom.** Who you are.**

His voice echoed through the hallway. Kagome continued walking through the house, getting closer and closer to the crime scene. Sesshomaru's large body was walking with her at a fair pace behind. He was silent and deadly, his power greatly hidden.

_Hello Kagome_, a dark voice hissed evilly.

Kagome shivered, feeling like she had just walked under a freezing air vent. "Who are you?" she whispered.

"Kagome?" Sesshomaru asked. "What's happening?"

She held up a hand to him, telling him to wait. She finally approached the bedroom door and stepped inside.

_Fucking bitch she was_, exclaimed the evil voice. _She deserved to die._

"Why? What gives you the right to decide that?"

_Have you heard my song, Kagome?_

Kagome nodded, whispering, "Yes."

'_And when I see you again, it'll be with arms wide full of love. And I'll see you again; it'll be the day I live for, even when I'm dead. With arms full of love, I'll hold you and kiss you. Love you forever until death do us part, and death will do us part, for I am long, long dead. I am the dead. And you, the living. Breathe me back my soul and I will take you to a faraway place called home.' Do you understand what I'm saying?_

"Why don't you just tell me?" Kagome demanded, her body still shaking. "Who are you?"

_You still don't see. Too bad. Sasara had high hopes for you._

Kagome's body went cold. How did he know about her communication with Sasara? "What the hell are you talking about?"

_Be careful Kagome_, the voice cooed.

Kagome shivered again. She rubbed her arms and took in a deep breath. A hand on her shoulder forced Kagome to jump and turn around.

"Calm down," Sesshomaru ordered, his voice cold. "What happened?"

"Just the voice," Kagome answered, looking down at the floor.

"Your imaginary friend?" Sesshomaru asked, confused. "I thought she was gone."

"I wouldn't call him a friend."

Sesshomaru gave her a sharp look. "It's a he?"

Kagome nodded.

"Why didn't you tell us?"

"I was sort of...distracted last time," Kagome answered truthfully. "I didn't really think of it. We haven't talked in a while."

"What was he talking about?"

Kagome looked at the bed, not ignoring Sesshomaru, but prolonging the moment that she would have to.

"Kagome?" Clearly, he was impatient.

"He was talking about how she deserved to die. That she was a 'fucking bitch'. I think... I think this voice in my head, this imaginary voice, is the killer."

"How can that be?" Sesshomaru asked. "Can't you only hear the dead?"

Kagome didn't answer him. Instead she walked toward the bed. The sheets and mattress had been pulled for evidence. The forensics had nearly finished. They processed the crime scene and were branching out to the rest of the rooms in the house, trying to get evidence of the criminal. But she knew. She knew that the body had been on the right side of the mattress, and that the blood dripping from the soaking mattress to the floor was just in front of her feet. A small square of the carpet was missing because of the blood spatter.

"His eighth victim," she murmured to herself. "She never saw it coming."

"What about her husband?"

She shook her head. "He was surprised to find the front door unlocked. He never knew. He didn't plan this."

"We still can't find him," Sesshomaru stated.

"We will." Kagome closed her eyes, opening her mind to the voices the swelled within her mind. "Soon."

A short ringtone forced Sesshomaru to tear his cold amber eyes off of her. The look on his face was an expression she couldn't describe. It wasn't fear of her, but fear of the unknown. He answered his phone.

A moment later, he hung up. "Menomaru wants us to meet him out front. His sergeants have some information. And the half-wit is out front."

Kagome rolled her eyes. "You and Inuyasha should go to couples therapy."

Sesshomaru turned and left, shaking his head as he walked away. "I won't grace that statement with a response."

"I didn't think you would." Kagome couldn't help but give a little smile. Just as she passed the doorframe, she looked into the large master bedroom, staring at the barren room. She hadn't been able to pick up anything at all. There were thoughts...anger... But her conversation with the voice said it all.

Inuyasha instantly walked up to her and wrapped his arms around her small frame, burying his face in her hair. "You okay?"

Kagome placed her hands on his chest, raising a brow. "Yeah, I'm fine. Why?"

"No reason. I just dropped off Miroku at the hotel. He says he's going to call Sango and get some rest."

"Good. I'm glad he's okay," Kagome murmured. "The Voice came to me again."

"The male?"

She nodded and shrugged. "He didn't say much. Just that Momiji deserved to die."

Menomaru cleared his throat and the two turned around. "Sorry," he said, ducking his head over papers slightly, "but we should read this."

"What is it?" Sesshomaru asked.

"The forensics report. Every fingerprint that was collected at Sasara's crime scene was a partial, and none of them came back to anything we could use. Forensics picked up some fibres but came back to a few items in Sasara's wardrobe. So far, everything gained from the scene was a miss. Ruri just came back from the preliminary. Cause of death was what we expected. There's no bruising beside the damage caused by the hilt. She was not sexually attacked, but neither were any of the other victims, right?" He looked at Sesshomaru, who nodded.

"Why is that?" Inuyasha asked. "He attacks all these beautiful women. He attacks them always in a bed but his attacks are purely at the uterus and chest. Feminine areas, which suggests–"

"Either he's not capable of an erection or there're other reasons for why he's not sexually attacking them," Kagome finished, following Inuyasha's train of thought. "It is something that we can follow. Was there anything to suggest sexual activity?"

Menomaru looked over the papers while Sesshomaru explained. "Not with any of the previous victims."

"And not with Sasara," Menomaru concluded. "Shouldn't Kagura be listening to this?"

Sesshomaru nodded. "I'll update her later on our recent developments. We can discuss this further at the station. But Kagura's following a lead with one of your officers... Officer Minori Kobayashi?"

"What did they find out?" Inuyasha asked.

"We found Momiji's husband's car," Menomaru explained. "It was down the street. I had the officers spread the area and start knocking on doors. Apparently, one of them recognized his BMW parked out front. A closer look told us that he had actually run out of gas."

"And he was so close, he just started to walk home," Kagome stated. She tilted her head, feeling suddenly very strange.

"It's in the shop now, and I have forensics going over it as well," Menomaru said.

**Found you.**

Kagome took in a sharp breath. Her body hurt all over.

**I found youuuuuuuuuuuuuuu.**

Tears started to leak through her eyes. Inuyasha grabbed her quickly, realizing she was starting to fall over. She wilted in his arms, her breaths short and shallow.

"Inuyasha," she wheezed. "He's found me."

_I knew this was going to happen._ Inuyasha's words formed inside her head, but his mouth didn't move.

**Kagome Higurashi, I found you. And now, you're never going to escape.**

She choked back tears. "I can't breathe... Crushing me... Meno-maru. Husband's car..." Flashbacks flew through her mind, making her skull feel like it was going to explode. "He's...dead. Killer...showing me..."

Her mind was spinning. She threw up, unable to hold herself together any longer.

"Kagome!" Inuyasha yelled, flipping her over and holding her hair back. "Get a medic!"

And through all of the drama, Sesshomaru's phone rang. "_We found the car_," Kagura said on the other end. Her voice was grim. "_We found the husband and he ain't going to talk – ever_."

"Yeah," Sesshomaru sighed. "I know.

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**What did you think? Please, tell me and review! I appreciate all comments :)**


	9. Surprise

**To those of you who wanted this, there you go. Sorry it took so long. Random vacations always do this to me. However, there is a countdown at the bottom of this page...**

**_WARNING:_ This story is rated M for a reason. The reason just occurs now. LEMON people. If you don't wish to view it, simple. Start reading after the first story break, after Inuyasha and Kagome discuss why she was hungry, you may stop and continue after the second story break. Voila!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha.**

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_**Ordinary**_

_Chapter Eight: Surprise_

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Kagura looked at the decapitated body and shuddered. This was definitely not what she wanted to be doing that evening. The sun was just starting to set and she could feel her stomach rumbling with hunger.

She smiled when she heard him approach. "You hungry?" Sesshomaru asked, coming up close behind her. She could feel his hand graze her back ever so lightly, and she shrugged in response.

"I haven't eaten since this morning," she replied. "After this is done, want to go and get some food?"

Sesshomaru nodded. "Is forensics done?"

"Just about," Kagura said. "They rushed from the house to here. The M.E. is finally finished with the body. Wallet in his pants confirms his ID. His name is Daisuke Kikuchi. He's Momiji's husband. We're running the plates now to get a positive ownership, but I'm sure that this is our eighth victim's car."

"Who found it with you?"

"Officer Minori Kobayashi," Kagura said, suddenly looking around the scene. She couldn't find the officer anywhere; though, she was positive she was there a few minutes ago. "I don't know where she went."

"Probably to check on the door-to-door officers," Sesshomaru answered. "She's going to be a good officer. I've talked to her a few times. She's very smart, intelligent."

Kagura hid her deep smile, noticing Sesshomaru's acknowledgement. Rarely did the demon even talk of others. When he spoke highly of someone, it was because he felt it was well-deserved. Obviously, he liked her.

"The preliminary?" Sesshomaru asked, looking around the scene. He noticed Kagura's moment of silence and spoke to break it.

"Asuka told us the morning should be fine."

"Good," he said. "Well done."

Kagura rolled her eyes. "I'm hardly a newbie Sesshomaru."

"But you're mainly a profiler," the demon stated, turning to face her. His face was grim and she could tell what was coming up next. "What does the profile look like now?"

"It's changed, big time," Kagura replied, shaking her head dismally. "I really think we need to have a meeting and discuss this with everyone. Where is everyone, by the way?"

"Menomaru's still finishing up at the house. His officers are knocking on doors but so far, no one's provided anything. Inuyasha's taking Kagome back to the hotel. She had another episode."

"How bad?" Kagura asked. "On a scale of one to ten."

"A nine, probably," Sesshomaru said. "She's hearing the voice of the killer."

This stopped Kagura from watching the forensics team. She turned her crimson eyes on Sesshomaru, questioning. "The killer?"

"It's a he," Sesshomaru started, "and he's speaking to her. How, I don't know. I thought she could only speak to the dead."

"Maybe something's changed."

"She could be a potential target," Sesshomaru stated. "Inuyasha's got the ring in his sock drawer at him."

"Really?" Kagura beamed and her smile reached from ear to ear. "How cute."

"Deadly," Sesshomaru corrected. "Remember our conversation before? Kagome says that _engagement_ is a connection and a motive for the killer. And not all of the victims were engaged. A few of them were to-be engaged but died before the boyfriend had a chance."

The smile faded. "Fuck."

"You can say that again," Sesshomaru sighed. "I'll call a meeting tomorrow in the morning after the prelim. Sound good?"

Kagura nodded. "I'll be there with the new profile."

"We need to catch this bastard," Sesshomaru pressed, though his voice held no infliction. "He could kill at any time."

Kagura turned away, her eyes flashing. She knew more than anyone else. "Yeah. I know it."

* * *

The early morning light streamed through the hotel window. Kagome felt her heavy body heave with effort as she rolled over, looking at the clock. It was six in the morning.

"What the hell?" Kagome groaned. She rolled onto her back and put a hand to her forehead. "What happened?"

A soft laugh filled her ears and Kagome whipped around, crashing into Inuyasha's hard body. "Inuyasha?" she whispered, forced to open her eyes. "Why is it so early in the morning?"

"Good morning sexy," he chuckled. He sighed for a short moment before answering her. "Because you've been sleeping for...I don't know...twelve hours?" Inuyasha's rough hand clawed its way through her black hair. "You passed out at the house after the mental attack."

"I did?" Kagome groaned. Her unhappiness radiated through her and she hid her head in the crook of his body. "I'm hungry."

Rolling his eyes, Inuyasha started to rub her back. "Well, you didn't eat dinner. If you want to have a shower now, we can try the breakfast downstairs. I don't know what else is open around here at six."

Kagome sighed and wrapped her arm around his muscular body. "Yeah."

"How are you still tired?" he asked, bending down towards her face. "Can you even breathe?"

Suddenly, Kagome peered from her little hole and smiled at him. Her hair was everywhere and her eyes were flashing with chocolate bliss. She gently reached up and touched his face. "Did you stay with me all night?"

"And leave you?" Inuyasha asked sarcastically. "You know I wouldn't do that. I just watched TV while you slept and took care of you. You were talking, you know."

"About what?"

Inuyasha let his hand run up her back and to her face. He smoothed the skin under her eyes and played with her lips. "You were talking about dying."

Kagome winced. "I've never had happy dreams."

"I would know," Inuyasha murmured, leaning down to kiss her. "I see them sometimes, when you open up."

Kagome wrapped her arms around his neck, struggling with the pillow that seemed to refuse to let her hold him. His lips were soft and responsive and she sighed happily.

"Are you really okay?" Inuyasha whispered against her lips. "Is he talking to you again?"

Kagome shook her head and pulled him back to her. "I don't want to talk about him right now." She kissed him again, running her hands through his hair. They kissed breathlessly for a moment, holding each other while the sheets entangled their bodies. Inuyasha's hands ran down her small frame, caressing every part of her flesh. He had changed her while she was knocked unconscious, her bare skin only covered by the thong she had worn yesterday. His rough hands toyed with the lingerie, teasingly tugging them lower and then back up.

"I thought you were hungry," Inuyasha teased between kissing her neck. "I thought you wanted to go down and eat."

"The only thing I'm worried about right now is Miroku next door," Kagome sighed, wrapping her legs around his hips.

Inuyasha came back to eye level with her. He smirked. "Miroku awake at six in the morning? I can hear him in the other room. He's snoring like a hippo."

Despite the moment, despite the passion she felt between them, Kagome laughed. She reached up gently and stroked his ears. The white fur felt like velvet in her hands and she smiled at his puppy-like reaction.

"That's not nice, Kagome," Inuyasha growled, the sound more from pleasure than anger.

"Who said I was a nice girl?" Kagome hinted, her smile turning wicked. She dropped her hands and traced a line from the roots of his hair to the elastic of his boxers. Inuyasha made a rough sound from the back of his throat and his arms encircled her waist to pull her on top of his body. He took her lips before she could say a word and they were left there in sweet romance, feeling the other, tasting the other.

Kagome threw back the sheets, lowering her body to his. She smiled wickedly, slowly, leisurely, kissing his lips before sliding down painfully slow to his neck. Her lips played on his fire-hot skin, and she loved the way his hands felt on her. He held her, toyed with her and touched her body in every spot she loved to be touched. She almost forgot what she was doing for a moment.

Nibbling his neck, Kagome lowered her body once more, sliding her mouth to his broad chest. She teased him, making sure that her torture was slow and satisfying – to her, not him. As she lowered more, she traced a faint line down his stomach with kisses, each quick and flittering. His low growl and teasing hands played with her hair and she nipped at the elastic. Sparing a quick glance, she sent Inuyasha a wicked smile as she nipped the area once more, causing him to sigh.

Without waiting, Kagome grabbed at them and slid them off, then slowly crawled her way back to his lips. "I'm still hungry," she whispered huskily, licking her lips.

Roughly, Inuyasha pulled her body down on top of his, feeling the rise of pleasure surge through him. She gasped but didn't stop, rubbing her body up and down along his shaft while her lips teased his. His arms pinned her to his body, the claws tracing patterns on her pale skin. She shivered and pulled away, once again moving her lips torturously down his neck and torso. Kagome could feel him against her breasts and teasingly, the moment her lips were to lower themselves to kiss his member, she moved upwards, kissing him back up his stomach.

"You're right," Inuyasha mumbled, his voice thick. "You're not nice."

Kagome laughed, her breath tingling his skin. It took only another second for her to move down completely, engulfing him with her mouth. She worked slowly, leisurely, making sure that she took control of every movement, every shudder. She could feel him tighten beneath her, his muscles tensing as his hands grabbed her head to pull her up.

"That's enough of that," he whispered, flipping her so that his huge body surrounded her. He bent down to kiss her, her moist lips inviting and responsive. She wrapped her legs around his hips, pulling her body up to meet his. She rubbed against him, the thin lace barrier the only thing stopping him – for the moment.

"Inuyasha," Kagome moaned, her voice sultry. Her heavy-lidded eyes looked up into his and he smirked, lifting one hand to slowly trace a line between the valley of her breasts, her bellybutton, her very core. He pushed his fingers between her, watching as her body arched towards him, her breath coming in short. Her low moan made him harder, made him feel like it had to go faster or he just wouldn't last. How long had it been since he was last with her, pleasuring her while she pleasured him? It was an hour before she left for Briscoe with Miroku; he remembered the way she promised to come back to him quickly. He had been playing hard-to-get.

Surely, a week was far too much time apart.

Kagome's arms circled his neck, stirring him out of his thoughts of her and her body. She kissed him, deeply, flicking her tongue to the rhythm he had set out for her. It soon became too much, her body arching, her heart racing, as she came so powerfully she gripped him tight, her nails biting at his back. "Inuyasha," she panted, turning him on so much so that he couldn't wait.

He didn't give her time to revel in the moment. The sound of his name being panted was too much of an invitation to give up. His hands roughly shoved her panties off and before she could do anything he thrust inside of her, feeling every nerve in his body exploding.

Kagome moaned, feeling the aftershock of her orgasm and him inside of her slowly build her to new heights of pleasure. Inuyasha's amber eyes bore down into her brown, and soon, everything fell apart. The walls that surrounded them mentally crumbled down, and every memory, every feeling poured inside of them. Every thought was shared, every touch was felt. It was love in the most powerful form, their connection allowing words and feelings to be told without verbal use.

"Kagome," Inuyasha growled, his hands scooping under her bottom as he thrust into her again, deeper and harder than before.

Her legs were so tightly wound around his body that he couldn't get any closer, any more inside of her. She traced her nails along his back while she revelled in the feel of him, hard and responsive on top of her. Slowly, she felt Inuyasha pull out, the want and need going with him.

She tried pulling him closer with her thighs but he was too strong. He teased her, moving his shaft around her folds teasingly while she moaned, both out of madness and yearning.

"I need you," she whispered hotly. "Right now, right now."

Inuyasha didn't even speak, his actions said it all. He pushed inside of her once more, moving his body back and forth in the rhythm that he craved, needed from her. She felt so tight, so good and he lost his mind to bliss. Kagome's arms encircled him, pulling him closer to her body, her breasts rubbing against his chest.

Holding onto her tight, Inuyasha flipped, throwing her body on top of his while he still remained deep inside of her.

Kagome gasped, moaning as she moved in circles on top of him, feeling his length at every angle. His hands toyed with her breasts, flicking and rubbing the nipples enough to make her go mad. The more he toyed, the faster she went, her body going at his wildly. He met her with every thrust, the power building and building until Kagome felt her body aching, the pleasure too much for her mind to handle as she soared, going faster and faster on top of him until she let go, her orgasm filling her, taking her over.

Kagome cried out, keeping him in her as he thrust harder and harder, his face taut with pleasure.

"Kagome," he whispered, his shaft penetrating into her again and again, the feel of her too good to give up. He pulled her body close to his, his lips ravishing every inch of her as he felt himself about to explode. He pumped inside of her, watching her face as her orgasm rocked her over and over.

"Inuyasha," Kagome cried out. His mind suddenly couldn't think, couldn't comprehend as he threw himself into her and came, the shattering power making him growl in absolute, untainted pleasure.

She moaned on top of him, her small frame falling on his chest while they both breathed heavy, trying to catch their breaths. After a long while, he could feel her heart beat slow, and gently, he pulled out of her and slid her to his side, his shoulder her pillow.

"You're beautiful," Inuyasha whispered, his hand pushing the strands of hair from her face.

"I love you Inuyasha," Kagome whispered back, kissing his shoulder before closing her eyes and letting sleep overcome her once more.

"I love you too," Inuyasha murmured, watching her sleeping form. He knew he wouldn't sleep, because he couldn't. She was in danger and he wouldn't let himself lose her like he almost did once before.

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His sleep had been just so damned peaceful, that it was obvious that it had to be ruined. The slamming of fists on a door woke Miroku from his restful sleep. He looked around the room, at first wondering where he was and then, what had happened. He was in his hotel room; the unfamiliar clock claimed eight a.m. Last Miroku remembered he had been watching an action movie with Inuyasha while eating room service. The movie ended and he crashed into bed, probably falling asleep instantly.

"Miroku, you open this door right now!"

SANGO!

Miroku leapt out of bed, throwing the covers off wildly and racing to the door. He was merely in his boxers, but he didn't care. His loving girlfriend had obviously travelled all this way to see him because she missed him so!

Throwing open the door, Sango Houko stood before him, her milky brown eyes glaring at him.

Okay, so not quite the leaping hug-and-kiss combo that he had been hoping for. But she still travelled all this way...

"My dearest Sango, you've come to see me," Miroku said gallantly, bowing slightly and motioning for her to enter.

Sango walked into the room, not even commenting on the fact that she believed chivalry was dead. When she was in the room she sat down on the bed, facing him with a stern glance. "I can't stay."

Miroku frowned. "Sango, are you okay?" He could tell when something was really bothering her. Her face said it all. She wasn't beaming with the energy she usually radiated, but there was still a glow, although it was unfamiliar. She was happy, but not. Miroku stood there, watching her every move with calculations behind it.

"I...think so," Sango started. She laughed uneasily.

Oh.

Dear.

Lord.

Sango never laughed uneasily. That's not the Sango Way. The Sango Way is to say something bluntly and get it over with. Get from point A to point B with the fewest number of casualties, kind of thing. If Sango was beating around the bush, it was because it was a monster-fucking-bush.

"I mean, I could be," Sango clarified.

Now, Miroku was terrified. You know the whole "we need to talk" scenario? Well, the "I could be fine" scenario is the first one, times a couple trillion. It was the verbal death – and if you pardon the pun – so to speak. "Sango, what's wrong?" He quickly made his way over to the bed, wrapping one arm around her slight figure. She was gorgeous, with long luxurious black hair, creamy eyes and the hottest body around. Her ass – enough said. But he loved her. He loved Sango more than anything.

More than other women.

And that was saying something.

He smoothed her hair and brought her head to rest on his shoulder. "New shampoo?" he asked, smelling the lengths. She smelled the same as always, like lavender.

Again, she laughed uneasily. "Um, Miroku?"

Miroku wondered when the sniper was going to shoot the back of his head.

"Are you happy?"

_Boom!_ Or would it be more of a _Whoosh_? Bullets didn't go boom.

"Of course I'm happy!" Miroku exclaimed, turning around so that he was kneeling before her on the floor. "That receptionist... There's nothing I can do about her. I swear she's like those prickly balls that come from weeds that attach to you. And when you take them off your sweater, they stick to your skin and then you have to find something else it will attach to before you're free. She came to me, believe it or not. I am decently attractive but in comparison to you, my love, she's like dirt–"

Sango frowned. "What receptionist?"

Miroku deadpanned. "Dirt that's been spat on and tucked into the furthest corner of a boot. But not my boot. Someone else's boot."

Sango raised a brow at him. "Do I have to slap you?"

Miroku smiled angelically. "No. You usually only reserve that action for when I do this." _Slap_.

"There's my Sango," Miroku sighed, rubbing his cheek. "I still don't know why you do that. It's not like I haven't touched it before, without the jeans on..."

Sango rolled her eyes. "This isn't about our sex life. Well, actually, it–"

Jumping up, Miroku grabbed both of Sango's hands in his. "Please tell me that you haven't decided to do the whole premarital no sex rule!" He groaned. "I knew it was too good to last. The sex is _amazing_ so of course it would be taken away from me. Not like I wouldn't wait," Miroku grinned at her, "but still. It would suck."

For a long moment, there was silence.

"You _idiot_!" Sango barked out, laughing her head off like a madwoman. With all of her uneasy laughing, she might have become one. What had a week of being the Chief-tess of Trite done to her?

"I'm going to kill Inuyasha," Miroku muttered.

"What?" Sango asked, still laughing.

Miroku sighed. "Nothing."

"I heard that Miroku!" Inuyasha yelled from the other room. "Whatever it is, I have nothing to do with this."

"Thank god," Sango muttered. "Imagine." Shuddering, Sango turned her attention back to Miroku. "Can they hear us?"

"Inuyasha probably can," Miroku said. "But Kagome can't for sure. Do you want a little more privacy? Inuyasha wouldn't have a problem leaving." Miroku raised his voice for a reason.

"No, no," Sango growled. She was getting irritated, but Miroku didn't know why or for what reason. What was going on with her?

"Hey Sango," Inuyasha yelled from the other room. "Who the hell is taking care of things down there?"

"Kouga, obviously," Sango yelled back.

"_WHAT_?"

"Inuyasha!" Kagome's voice could be heard. She was obviously displeased with his noise.

"Oh fuck it," Sango murmured.

"Sango," Miroku said gently, rubbing the back of her hands. "What's wrong? Can't I help you at all?"

Sango took a deep breath. "Are you happy?"

"Undeniably."

"Do you love me?"

"Eternally."

"When you asked a little while ago to get, you know, more serious, were you serious?"

"Yes!" Miroku exclaimed. "What's with the twenty questions?"

Sango finally let out her breath. "I'm pregnant."

"_WHAT?!_" Inuyasha screamed with a piercing shriek of joy several seconds after when Inuyasha had obviously told Kagome.

"You, Miroku, are going to be a daddy," Sango said.

Miroku fainted.

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**I enjoyed the last part. It was improvised into the chapter. OH, the countdown? Who wants to guess how many chapters are left? Not many.**

**Please review!**


	10. Bad Girl

**Author's Note at bottom!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha.**

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_**Ordinary**_

_Chapter Nine: Bad Girl_

* * *

_Fucking bastard. That bitch. That wretch._

_The fucking bastard._

_I hope he's rotting in hell right now._

_It just had to be the day that he ran out of gas. Then he interrupted me._

_Interrupted us._

_Fucking bastard, rot in hell._

_He was pissed. Yes he was, when he saw her like that._

_Frowning gets you nowhere. So I gave him a permanent smile on his neck._

_Fuck, fuck, fuck._

_Someone has to die._

_Now._

* * *

"And then he fainted?" Kagura asked incredulously. "Did he fall completely unconscious or just flustered?"

"Gone," Kagome answered, shaking her head. "Sango's with him in the hotel room now. They're going to leave early. She figures Miroku will want to go back with her and since he got attacked, he hasn't been doing much anyways."

"It makes sense," Menomaru concluded, and then muttered to himself, "One less asshole to deal with."

"I can hear you," Inuyasha growled. "You want our help or not?"

"Bodies have been piling up since you arrived," Menomaru growled.

"Because of this sicko that's on the loose, you bastard," Inuyasha shouted, standing up in front of Kagome. "Not because of us. We haven't done anything but given you leads."

Menomaru was about to say something when Sesshomaru burst through the doors. "You two done squabbling?" he asked in a bored tone. "We have work to do."

"This fucking bastard–"

Kagura cut Inuyasha off with a wave of her hand and her deep authoritative voice. "How was the preliminary?"

"Interesting. I managed to deal with forensics too. We're more or less caught up on everything, with the exception of the husband's murder. He'll be victim zero, while the rest are one through eight."

"Did you hear what happened with Miroku?" Kagome asked suddenly, throwing the group off.

"Unless he caught the killer – no." Sesshomaru posted a few more papers and pictures on the corkboard. "Going through one to eight, we'll discuss victims," Sesshomaru ordered. "All were female. Four blondes, two brunettes, one with black hair and the final with red."

"So he prefers blondes, most likely," Kagome suggested, shrugging.

"Who doesn't?" Menomaru asked dryly. "Their weight varied as well, I assume?"

"All of them. None of them are even close to the five pound range," Sesshomaru replied.

"Their status ranges too. One poor girl was saleswoman for a low-end clothing store, while another was the CEO of a major corporation," Kagura told the group. "He seemingly doesn't pick for any particular reason, other than them being female."

"And to-be, or already engaged," Kagome added. "This leads to the questions as to why he's targeting females and why he's targeting to-be married women."

"He's targeting females in the general consensus," Kagura answered, pulling out the profile. "This could be due to an absolute hatred for the female race. Chances are he was abused or ignored by his mother during childhood, and the female role models around him all disappeared out of his life while he came to these conclusions.

"Any female that attempted to get near him couldn't and then he would blame them for leaving him," Kagura continued. "As for marriage, all of these women were probably getting married or already tied. This way, his general consensus would spread to that characteristic."

"What else is on there?" Sesshomaru asked; coming over to see passed Kagura's shoulder.

"The deep hatred of women definitely classifies him as a male. He's probably between the ages of thirty to forty-five and in great physical condition. The knife wounds are very deep, according to all of the past preliminaries, which means that upper body strength is a must. He's disorganized. He doesn't seem to plan his killings other than fantasize while stalking them. Due to the fact that his M.O. has changed to one kill every two to three days, it means that he's stalking his victims shortly. He learned when they're alone in their rooms and then finds a way in. He wasn't watching our eighth victim – Momiji Kikuchi – enough to know that her husband was always low on gas and never filled the tank until the end. Something he would have learned if he watched for at least week, since all the neighbours knew of his vice."

"Stalking, disorganization and upper body strength," Menomaru thought. "Briscoe isn't large but it's certainly big enough that any male could fit the profile well."

"Which is why we have Kagome," Inuyasha interrupted. "Kagome can communicate with our killer, though he's the only one that can open the link between them."

He looked over to Kagome, as did every other person in the room, and she shrugged. "I've tried to get information out of him, but he only talks in riddles or sings. He's going to kill again."

"He's told you?" Sesshomaru asked, his amber eyes watching her tightly.

Kagome nodded. "I'm a potential victim, and that changes his M.O. again."

No one had to say anything, they all understood. Kagome wasn't engaged or to-be married – that she knew. Inuyasha clamped him mouth shut and suppressed the boiling rage that spilled through him.

"He told you that?" he asked, his voice coming out in just barely a whisper.

"Yeah, a long time ago," Kagome answered. "So that's more you can add to the profile. He's evolving. He's stalking his victims in shorter amounts of time. He's taking longer to kill them. Soon, his M.O. will have one slight change per kill."

"But how are you connected to his killer?" Menomaru asked. "I don't...know what to believe. However, all I've been told is that you can hear the dead. But our killer can't be dead."

"I had to have made contact with him. Inuyasha, Miroku and I already made a list. All of them you ruled out. I made contact with more women than men."

"This is confusing," Menomaru sighed, shaking his head. "The paranormal crap just makes it worse."

_Asshole, I'll kill him_. Kagome heard Inuyasha's voice enter her mind, the deep masculine sound filling her ears and temporarily deafening the voices of the dead.

She stared at Inuyasha. Did he just talk to her _in her head_?

"Kagome?"

Kagome turned around to face Kagura, who looked at her questioningly. "Did you?"

"Yes, we did," Inuyasha answered for her, looking at his girlfriend and putting an arm around her shoulders. "It's in our room. I'll get it for you later."

Kagura nodded but didn't take her eyes off of Kagome. "We should also try looking at his radius. How far were all the killings?"

"Far enough that there's no connection," Sesshomaru concluded, shaking his head. "Our killer has to have been here for a maximum of twelve months. The last killing was in New York."

"That's a good few hours away," Menomaru added. "And a twelve month gap between killings."

"We can't even be sure of that," Sesshomaru said, looking at the sheriff. "He must have stopped along the way, and we can't be positive where he stopped or if he killed during travel. It's more than likely."

"Bastard," Menomaru said suddenly.

"Really?" Inuyasha added sarcastically, only his gaze was directed at him.

_Inuyasha, calm down_, Kagome thought, staring at Inuyasha with intense eyes. Did he hear her?

Suddenly, Inuyasha's ears pricked up and he whipped his heard around. "Did you...?"

"Can you two stop making googly eyes at each other and focus please?" Sesshomaru demanded, his amber eyes glaring.

_We'll talk about this later, _Kagome thought and then said to Sesshomaru, "Your choice of words isn't exactly appropriate or correct."

"But continuing," Kagura interrupted. "Were all of the bodies placed in their beds before they were found?"

"They all died in their beds," Sesshomaru corrected. "He killed them either prior to sleep, during or just waking – regardless if it was an actual bedtime snooze or a nap."

"Any possible connections between the victims?" Menomaru asked, going back to basic police work.

"No connection that anyone has been able to find. Even with Sasara and Momiji, who were killed here, one was from out of town on one side of the city and the other lived there permanently on the other side," Sesshomaru answered. "Their work, jobs, co-workers... No connections."

"Which is strange, isn't it?" Kagome asked. "I mean, when I write murders for a book, there's always a connection."

Menomaru rolled his eyes. "But there's always a happy ending," he added dryly.

Kagome glared at the sheriff, her lips curled in. "I don't know what problem you have against me but it needs to stop. I'm trying to help. And it is _obvious_ that you have never read my stories. Out of all the books I've written, very few have happy endings. Do not, and I repeat, do not judge me."

Inuyasha smirked.

"Enough!" Sesshomaru hissed, his face blank. "We need to work together. Menomaru, grow the fuck up. Inuyasha and Kagome, stop stoking the fire."

"What fire?" Inuyasha grumbled under his breath, but didn't comment loudly.

"Going on with the investigation," Sesshomaru said sharply. "We need to find a place that we can find this bastard at. I mean, does he keep his knife in a drawer with all of his cooking knives? Is he a permanent residence or at a hotel?"

"On the profile, I'd say he lives here," Kagura said, giving out information. "He's evolving, like Kagome said earlier, which takes a great deal of comfort and confidence. If he was working from a place that was unfamiliar, he wouldn't be evolving so quickly. With that said, I believe he's single. Relationships for him are either non-existent or short-lasting. His hatred of women is clear, so no woman in her right mind would stay with him – in turn, adding more fuel to the fire. I'd say he lives alone but..." Kagura shrugged. "He's a serial killer. A major outcast. He's killed eight women and he hasn't been caught. Police departments from everywhere have barely been able to find a viable suspect for his crimes. I think he has more property to keep all of his tools."

Inuyasha nodded. "That makes sense. As much of an outcast he might be, he still has to blend in or else he'd stick out like a neon sign." Turning to look at Menomaru, Inuyasha asked, "Are there any storage facilities nearby? Any properties that are abandoned?"

"I'll get Ruri and Hari on it," Menomaru replied and left the room briefly to tell them. When he came back, the conversation resumed.

"So let's talk about number eight," Sesshomaru declared, turning towards the corkboard. He grabbed a bunch of papers that were held by a pin under the picture of Momiji Kikuchi and placed them on the table. "What went wrong?"

"A lot, apparently," Menomaru said. "Husband ran out of gas and walked back to the house. Killer didn't expect him to come back and just when he finished killing her" – he looked to Kagome to make sure he was correct – "the husband walked in."

"And he thought of something funny," Inuyasha added. "We still don't know what he was thinking."

"Is it pertinent?" Sesshomaru asked.

Inuyasha shrugged. "It could be."

"Or it could mean nothing," Kagome said. "We should focus on the little that we know. Finding the second location is a good start."

"And the clues on the husband," Sesshomaru said. "I went to the preliminary this morning. His throat was slit, from one side to the other. He was nearly decapitated. There are two sources of blood DNA, but assuming he used the same knife, I'd say it's safe to say it's his wife's."

"So what can we go on from the husband?"

"There were skin cells under his nails," Sesshomaru replied. "It's been sent in and will be search through CODIS. Maybe we'll get lucky and get a match."

Kagura sighed. "As if we were that lucky."

"What about the profile on victim zero's death though?" Menomaru asked, shifting slightly in his chair. He stared at the corkboard and at the picture of the husband, which sat right beside the picture of his wife.

"Out of character, for one thing." Kagura rearranged the papers on her desk and looked back at the profile. "He's disorganized but he completely changed the COD on the husband. From stabbing to slitting... It's a big difference. There was rage. A lot of rage. Did you pick up anything from it?" Kagura then asked, looking at Kagome.

Kagome shook her head. "No. Nothing besides the story I wrote. It was a short story sequel."

"Well, we need to look into everything again," Sesshomaru concluded. "We need to recheck all of our sources, even if they led to dead ends. The problem with the victims dying in their own beds is that there's usually no one there with them. No witnesses usually make an investigation more difficult.

"And the bleach came back," the demon continued. "There were very small traces but they were able to abstract it. It's generic bleach and can be bought at any store, so that's out of the question."

"So what does that leave us with?" Menomaru asked. "Hope that we have something to search in the morning?"

A knock at the door startled the five sitting in the conference room. Suddenly, Officer Maiho walked in, a grim expression on his features. "Sheriff? We've got a missing persons."

"Shit," Menomaru growled and left the room, Sesshomaru and the group following after him.

Officer Maiho walked towards his desk at the front, where a couple waited impatiently. The male was tall and lanky, with black hair and startling blue eyes. His face looked almost green, as if he was sick, and it was obvious what he was worried about. The woman beside him was either a girlfriend or a close friend, their features not even remotely similar. Although she had short black hair, her green eyes were large on her small face, and she looked so delicate that touching her would make her break.

"Is she here?" the man demanded.

"Who?" Menomaru asked, looking at Maiho confused. "Are these the people filing the missing persons?"

"They're going to be," Officer Maiho sighed. "Sheriff, this is Nobunga Kobayashi and his girlfriend, Tsuya Atsuko. Nobunga is Minori's brother. She was supposed to take work off today, but she told me that she was just going to help out anyways. When she didn't come in, I thought she changed her mind." Maiho shrugged. "Mr. Kobayashi says she's answering at home and her phone is off. They were supposed to have dinner late last night."

"Officer Minori?" Sesshomaru asked but Menomaru didn't answer. Instead, he walked towards Nobunga and Tsuya. "When's the last time you heard from her?"

"Yesterday afternoon," Nobunga answered, his voice shaky. "We were supposed to be having dinner last night and she had called to let me know that work might keep her late, though she promised to still make it. When she didn't, I assumed she was just too overloaded. At around eleven I called her, just to ask if I should keep some food warm for her, but her cell was off. She's not answering her home phone, and I've left messages. She doesn't do that. Minori never does that."

Tsuya, his girlfriend, walked up close and held his hand tightly in her own. She gave a small smile and rubbed his arm. "We'll find her," she whispered. "She probably just passed out and didn't hear the phone."

"I want to check it all out anyways," Menomaru demanded. "Did you go over to her house?"

"No, I didn't yesterday because I waited for her at my place. Tsuya did though," Nobunga said, looking at her. "You said the house was dark, right?"

Tsuya nodded and looked at everyone that surrounded her. "I knocked a few times and rang the doorbell. Nobunga told me that he couldn't get a hold of her and she lives on the way, so I stopped by. The house was completely dark on the outside, but I could see a small light down some hall."

"Do you know what's down there?" Menomaru asked, looking at the couple.

Nobunga shook his head. "She usually comes to my place, since it's a bit bigger."

"But there was light," Kagura cut in. "She could just be resting."

"But there's more," Tsuya pressed, raising her voice. "Later that night, around one this morning, when I was driving back, it was the same thing. Everything was off, but that light."

"And Minori doesn't _not_ come into work," Menomaru added. "I always have to kick her out to go home. Her not coming today, especially after finding the car, is huge."

Looking at Maiho, Menomaru ordered for him and others to take cars down to her house. "We need to get there, pronto."

"Oh no." The soft whisper was almost so quiet that it was barely heard. But Inuyasha turned around and grabbed her hand, which made everyone else turn.

Kagome's body shook beside his and she grabbed Inuyasha's hand. "Hold me," she murmured and everyone watched in horror as Kagome's eyes dilated. Her pupils altered to an unrealistic size and Inuyasha's changed much like hers.

"What the fuck is happening?" Menomaru barked.

"She's psychic," Tsuya murmured. "Nobunga, she can help!"

Kagome felt the voices surge around her, deafening her. She felt them complete her body and take over, much like they had when she saw Sasara's ghost.

"He's watching." Kagome's voice was deep and the sounds of millions of little voices filled her mouth. It wasn't her talking anymore. In her own mind, Kagome screamed, determined to be heard but terrified to be lost.

"Fuck," Inuyasha muttered, watching the same scattered memories that Kagome saw flashing in her mind.

**I've found you**, the dark voice, the evil man whispered menacingly in her ears. Kagome fell to the ground, her body shaking uncontrollably. She tried to force herself to be calm, unmoving, but the voices had control. The voices wouldn't be pushed back.

"He's going to kill her. Kill her, kill her, kill her," Kagome's mock voice chanted hauntingly. The room spun and Inuyasha choked, as if he was being strangled.

"He's got...Kagome," Inuyasha coughed. "He's trying to make me let go." Inuyasha growled loudly and Sesshomaru held his arm roughly.

"Inuyasha, you can't go as deep as her. She's struggling to survive."

But it didn't matter. Inuyasha wasn't as deep anyways, Kagome wouldn't let him. Inuyasha watched, almost like watching a film in the very back of the theatre, standing against the wall. At first, he was just a bystander but then, a dark presence appeared. He couldn't see him, couldn't smell him, couldn't tell if he was real or not. All Inuyasha could feel was hands around his neck and the sensation that he couldn't breathe.

The deep voice was the only thing he heard, until Kagome screamed.

"Minori! Minori! _Minori_!" Kagome shouted repeatedly, her body thrashing around the room. She crashed into desks and crawled like her life depended on it towards the couple. Suddenly, as if someone jumped on her, Kagome's body fell flat to the floor and a whimper of pain could be heard. Kagome was trapped as a prisoner within her own body. She screamed, and felt relief when she heard the sound come out of her mouth. She surged forwards, drawing every aspect of the room closer and closer to her until she felt like she was almost there, almost back to normal.

And that's when she heard the killer.

**I've found you. I've found you Kagome. I've found you.**

He was laughing and chanting and even though his voice sounded so close, she watched as tiny images flashed across her mind of a shadowed body holding a long bloody knife, walking towards a door.

"He's going to kill her!" Kagome shouted. Her voice was still laced with the voices of the dead. She sounded mechanical, unreal.

But everything was disturbingly real.

**Found you.**

**Found you.**

**Found you. **

**Found you.**

Kagome, still on the floor, rolled her body into a tight ball. Her knees at her chin, she wrapped her arms around herself, her eyes wide and vacant.

"Kagome?" Tsuya asked, kneeling beside Kagome.

Kagome stared at her, her eyes unseeing. And then she started to sing. "_And when I see you again, it'll be with arms wide full of love. And I'll see you again; it'll be the day I live for, even when I'm dead. With arms full of love, I'll hold you and kiss you. Love you forever until death do us part, and death will do us part, for I am long, long dead. I am the dead. And you, the living. Breathe me back my soul and I will take you to a faraway place called home._"

* * *

Minori woke up, groggy. Her head pounded like jackhammers and her arms tingled painfully.

_Where am I?_ The thought raced through her mind like wildfire, and instantly she looked around. She was in her bedroom. She was stripped to her bra and panties. She was chained to the bedpost, her arms and her legs unable to move.

**You've been a bad girl.**

Slowly, it dawned on Minori what was happening. "No," she whispered, unbelieving. "No, no! No, oh god, please no." But then she saw her murderer, a bloody knife telling Minori that everything was not going to be okay.

**A bad, bad girl.**

She didn't even have time to scream.

* * *

**_Let's play a game!_ Who wants this to end happily but with a twisted ending? You know, like the horror movies? There are two options: There is a twisted ending or there's an alternate ending (where basically the story ends the same but there's an additional paragraph or two that I will post as a separate chapter). **

**Please vote and let me know. Thank you for all of your reviews!**


	11. Déjà Vu

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha.**

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_**Ordinary**_

_Chapter Ten: Déjà Vu_

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It took Kagome most of the day to write the story and by that time, Officer Minori's dead body had already been found. Asuka came as she always did to the scene, and grimly, she removed the body. She told Menomaru and Sesshomaru that she would be up for the preliminary the next morning, and that she would work all night to make sure everything was ready for them. She was aware of Minori's officer status, and did everything that she said she'd do.

It was Saturday now, almost a full twenty-four hours since Kagome had started writing Minori Kobayashi's death, and she stood painfully as she watched Menomaru and Sesshomaru talk to Nobunga.

He was crying. The pain and torture that he was feeling was evident on his features. They had told him before, with Tsuya by his side, but then Sesshomaru asked to speak with him quietly. About what, Kagome wasn't sure.

Inuyasha was out getting coffee and food for everyone, and he told her to stay back and stay safe. She wondered briefly what he meant by that, but figured it was because of the threat that was against her. He was overprotective and overbearing sometimes when men looked at her in what he called "the wrong way". But now, he wouldn't let her move without holding him to reassure that she was going to be okay. Since the killer had yet to change his M.O. to non-engaged women, she wasn't too worried.

Yet.

"So you're psychic?"

The question surprised Kagome, and she whipped around to see Tsuya Atsuko beside her, giving her a shaky smile. It was obvious that she knew and cared for Minori too. Her hair was short and in a bob sort of style. She looked like a porcelain doll to Kagome.

Kagome stuttered for a moment before answering truthfully. "Yes, I am."

"What can you do?"

"I hear voices of the dead, and sometimes I see them too," Kagome whispered, trying not to make eye contact. This was usually the part where people freaked out and ran away from her like she was a mutant. This was usually the part where she got hurt.

"The dead aren't always quiet, are they?" the woman mused beside her and Kagome stared at her, shocked.

Tsuya must have realized because she smiled. "Oh, I'm not freaked out. I'm psychic too. I'm an empath. I can read emotions and the whole she-bang. So if you lie to me, I'll know it." She was quiet for a moment, lost in some sort of memory. "I can object read too. You know, psychometry?"

"I've heard of it," Kagome replied. "So you got a double-whammy."

"And you've got a connection with your boyfriend."

The thought of Inuyasha made Kagome grimace, remembering how difficult he was when he left to get food. Tsuya laughed and gave a small, mysterious smile. "He means well, you know. He's trying to protect you, with good reason."

When Tsuya said it, Kagome felt almost...reassured. She felt like Inuyasha was protecting her not because of his overactive imagination and fears, but because... She couldn't put a finger on it. Tsuya seemed so certain that Kagome didn't doubt anything. "I'm a potential target," Kagome told her, feeling a connection with the psychic. She never met another psychic besides Kaede and Ami, from when Tsubaki tried to kill her.

"Yeah, I know. I can read it all over our little killing fiend," she said, shrugging. "Nobunga would do the same if I told him though."

The sad look on her face made Kagome think twice. "Wait," she urged, turning to face Tsuya. "You're a target too?"

"What number is she?" Tsuya asked. Suddenly, her voice was very tight and very strange. Kagome wished she was an empath, so she could understand what the woman was feeling.

"What do you mean, what number?"

"What number victim is she?" Tsuya pressed.

Kagome bit her lower lip and sighed. "The ninth."

"Ah." Her voice had become quite small. "Well, maybe I'll see you around. Do you think Special Agent Taisho is finished right now?"

Kagome nodded and watched as the mysterious woman made her way over to her boyfriend.

"Kagome!"

Again she turned, only this time to face Inuyasha who held two large bags of food. He looked her up and down, as if to make sure she wasn't hurt in any way, and then smiled. "You're okay, I see."

"Of course I'm okay," Kagome assured him, pointedly giving him a look. But then she remembered what Tsuya said and softened up a bit. "You need help?"

"Maybe a little," Inuyasha admitted, handing her one of the bags. Kagome grabbed it and tossed it to one arm while she encircled him with the other.

"Inuyasha?" she asked quietly, looking up to his face.

He looked down at her, worry clouding his eyes. "Yes Kagome?"

"I love you."

Inuyasha smiled and lowered himself to kiss her forehead. "I love you too. Always will."

* * *

They were left alone in the conference room and Kagome was going out of her mind.

"Can we at least go for a walk?" she asked, groaning. "I can't be in here any longer."

Inuyasha sighed. "It's dangerous out there."

"Oh don't start that again," Kagome shot back, irritated. "I'm fine and I have you right here to protect me."

"I turned my back last time for an hour Kagome, and look what happened."

"Yeah," Kagome rolled her eyes while her voice dripped with sarcasm. "I ended up here with you."

"Ouch."

"It was a good thing!" Kagome shouted, relentless.

Inuyasha smirked at her. "Fine, let's go for a walk."

Sneaking past everyone, Kagome and Inuyasha escaped to the outside, breathing in the fresh air.

"Thank goodness," Kagome murmured, grabbing his hand. "See? Not so dangerous."

Inuyasha chose not to comment. Instead, he looked at the scenery around them. There wasn't much. The police department was located on the main road. A highway was not far by, and Inuyasha could hear the sounds of cars buzzing by, trucks honking and people screaming. Where they were, however, there was still a sidewalk with gardens that trailed along it.

Kagome dragged him and started walking to the right of the building. "So let's have this talk," she started, giving him a sly smile.

"You just wanted to talk outside so if I decided to kill you, you'd be able to run," Inuyasha sighed, exasperated. "Women."

"Wouldn't it be safer in a room near cops?" Kagome pointed out. "Look, we need to talk."

"The dreaded words," Inuyasha mumbled.

"Oh shut up," she said playfully. "Seriously, can you get into my head?"

Inuyasha thought for a moment, tightening his grip on her hand. "Well I can _see_ the door but I'm not in it. I'm not in your head."

"But can you talk to me without going in?"

_Testing, testing, 1, 2, 3._

"Very funny Inuyasha," Kagome scoffed.

He smirked slightly. "It worked."

"So what does that mean? Along with the voices of the dead, you're in there too?" Kagome laughed. "Gee, awesome."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes and pulled her closer to him, hugging her. "Stop complaining. This can't be _that_ bad. Now I can always know what you're thinking."

Kagome turned around and wrapped her arms around his neck. She grinned wickedly before kissing him lightly on the lips. "What am I thinking now?"

Inuyasha searched her eyes for a moment and then he grinned too. "Well, there's grass over there."

"Inuyasha!" Kagome smacked him playfully. "Save the outdoors for our backyard," she hissed with a smile. "I was thinking more along the lines of..."

She pushed the thought into his head and watched as his smile grew wider. "The Palace is about ten minutes away." _And Miroku's not even there to keep quiet for._

Opening her arms and letting Inuyasha pick her up, she wrapped her legs around his torso and kissed him passionately. She could feel him harden beneath her as his one hand toyed with her shirt while the other held her up.

And then, she could feel him vibrate.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Inuyasha growled between Kagome's kisses.

Kagome sighed. "You should answer it."

"Um, no. How about we continue with what we were doing?" He sounded hopeful.

"We're in the middle of a murder investigation."

Inuyasha growled again and opened his phone. "What the _fuck_ do you want, Sesshomaru?"

"_Actually it's Sheriff Menomaru. I'm using his phone_."

Inuyasha covered the bottom of the phone and burst out laughing, watching Kagome's confused expression. Then, knowing he had to speak quickly, stifled his laughter and spoke. "Well, what?"

"_Sergeants Ruri and Hari found an abandoned shack not too far from the ninth victim's – Minori's – house. We think it could be it. Sesshomaru said that Kagome would be able to tell one-hundred percent for us_."

"Okay, where is it?"

When the conversation ended, Kagome looked at Inuyasha with wide eyes. "Menomaru Seki?"

"The one and only," Inuyasha said, grinning again. "They need you to go into a building and see if it's the killer's. You up for it, or no?"

Nodding, Kagome said, "I'll do whatever I can. I can't believe Minori was next. She didn't even fit the profile – she's not engaged." Kagome realized that she had to start worrying about her own safety. Maybe Inuyasha's overbearing protection was needed. She sighed. "Let's go."

Inuyasha picked Kagome up again, this time throwing her on his back. He raced towards the police department and opened the passenger door of his Tahoe. Since he had driven up all the way from Trite, he decided that his truck needed more than just one long run. Kagome's car was low on gas, so she agreed. Finally getting to the driver's seat, Inuyasha took his keys out and started the car.

"Remember when I stole those from you?" Kagome asked suddenly, when they were already on the way.

Inuyasha smiled. "You mean the first time we kissed?"

"No, the first time I stole your keys." But she was smiling anyways.

The building wasn't too far from them and in no time, Inuyasha pulled up his truck behind Sesshomaru's federal vehicle, still cursing the interruption.

"Oh Inuyasha, we still have tonight," Kagome muttered before getting out of the truck.

Inuyasha grumbled all the same.

Sesshomaru stood not too far away from them, with Menomaru at his side. Kagura was talking to an old man at the edge of the road, probably trying to gain information on the abandoned shack.

"What's going on?" Inuyasha asked as they neared the team.

"Blood," Menomaru answered, glancing quickly at the desolate building. "It's a fucking bloodbath in there. Something has definitely died there."

"There are tools in there too," Sesshomaru added. "Some of them are ancient torture machines. Forensics hasn't gone in there yet. There's a path that you can walk, but you can't stray from it. I wanted Kagome to look through it first."

"Great," Kagome sighed under her breath. A lot of blood usually meant a lot of excruciating pain.

"Didn't we do this before?" Inuyasha asked, staring up at the old building. "This seems very familiar."

"When we were on the case together, five years ago," Kagome replied, looking at it too. "As I recall, it was your first real encounter with me and the voices in my head."

"Oh yeah. Pleasant memories," Inuyasha coughed. "You okay to do this?"

"Am I ever?" Kagome asked dryly.

Together, they started up the driveway. It was a bit of a climb, but once they finally made it to the doors, Kagome stared at the new-looking bolt that had been broken. Gently, as if it would hurt her, Kagome touched it, listening to the voices in her head.

They were screaming at her, wailing in their desperate rage. They wanted out and they wanted to use her to do it. She let her mind open, let the voices engulf her like a raging river, feeling the blood in her veins work for them. It wasn't painful physically, but mentally, Kagome felt like she was dying. It felt like that every time. She thought it was similar to drowning. You just kept sinking and sinking, and there was nothing you could do to stop it. The water covered over you, your vision blurred and you struggled to get air as you sunk further and further down...

"Kagome?" Inuyasha's voice helped to stabilize her, but she didn't touch him. He would just go in with her, and she had learned that when it came to excruciating memories and emotions – like dying or being tortured – it was best not to include him.

"I'm fine," Kagome said, trying to sound brave. She wasn't fine, but it didn't matter.

The voices' screams were taking over and she could feel her loss in control, her very essence slipping away from her. Kagome closed her eyes, wincing as they shocked her system. Their sound was barely tolerable and Kagome had to use every ounce of power she had not to cry out herself. Her knees shook, but she didn't fall. Instead, she leaned on the doors, feeling the weight of the dead bury her further and further into the ground, into the ocean of the dead.

"Oh god," Kagome gasped, gripping the door. Inuyasha reached out to touch her, but she swatted him away. "Don't touch me," she ordered, staring at him with dilating eyes. "Promise me."

Kagome's body jerked and suddenly, she stood up straight, no longer feeling any sort of weight. Her head tilted to the side eerily and when she spoke, it wasn't her voice.

"You should make them come," Kagome ordered, though the dead were speaking for her. "Make them come."

Inuyasha watched her closely, making sure that nothing stupid happened. The moment she started breaking down, he was going to get a grasp on her and save her, just like he always did. He waved the others over and within a minute, Sesshomaru, Menomaru, Kagura and the sergeants Ruri and Hari stood around Kagome in a semi-circle.

"What's she doing?" Ruri whispered to Hari, who shrugged.

"She deserved to die, _fucking bitch_," Kagome spat, moving her body stiffly through the door. She looked down at the roped off floor and smirked. "As if."

"Kagome, don't," Inuyasha warned. "Don't go past the rope."

She pretended not to hear him. Instead, she walked to the very edge and crouched down, gingerly running her fingers over the dried oval of blood that crusted the floor. "She's a fucking bitch..._You've been a bad, bad girl_...Why can't I be the man that..._Oh god, please don't kill me! Please don't kill me! My kids, I have to_...You deserve to die. Do you know why you're dying?..._Help me. My god help me!_...Because of who you **are**_**.**_" Kagome's voice echoed around the abandoned shack, escalating voices of horror ringing.

Ruri and Hari stared at Menomaru in absolute revulsion. "What the fuck is she on?" Hari snapped. "What's she doing here?"

"Shut up," Sesshomaru ordered, not even bothering to look at them. "Take note of what she's saying.

Suddenly, Kagome sprang up, taking slow, even steps backwards. She almost crashed into Kagura had she not moved. "Oh no. Please, don't do this!" Kagome shrieked, as if something was trying to hurt her.

But something wasn't. Kagome stared at the nine ghosts in front of her, terrified beyond reason. Mari Kan, Sasara Fumito, Momiji Kikuchi, Minori Kobayashi, and five more filled the room, advancing towards her.

_We're not alone_, Sasara said to her. _He's coming. He's going to kill us._ _All of us._

And then immediately, a dozen more ghosts filled the room, all of them female. They all had slit throats, and all of them held the same haunted look in their eyes.

He killed them all. That bastard killed them all.

"He's killed over twenty," Kagome whispered, her voice returning to normal. She felt the strength slowly leave her body as the voices backed off, though the screaming still continued. "The victims, they're here. They're..." And then Kagome's eyes dilated once more, and her voice filled with thousands of others. "_And when I see you again, it'll be with arms wide full of love. And I'll see you again; it'll be the day I live for, even when I'm dead. With arms full of love, I'll hold you and kiss you. Love you forever until death do us part, and death will do us part, for I am long, long dead. I am the dead. And you, the living. Breathe me back my soul and I will take you to a faraway place called home._"

And then, with a terrifying, heart-wrenching, gut-churning scream, Kagome passed out, Inuyasha rushing to her to catch her falling body just on time.

"This is fucking déjà vu," Inuyasha cursed. "Fuck, Kagome!"

* * *

Mariya Mashina wanted to go. And not in a few hours.

Now.

Ever since late last night she had felt sick to her stomach. Her body ached, her head pounded and this _smell_... It was all around her, surrounding her thoughts and actions. She couldn't get away from it, regardless of the three showers she had taken.

She had only been working at the Palace Hotel until fairly recently. She, along with disjointed family, moved quite a few months ago, and with her degree in human resources she got a quick part-time job as a receptionist. Her husband worked hard enough that they never had to worry about money, but she always wanted a little bit of cash just for herself. So when she saw that two-hundred dollar pair of shoes, she could buy them without listening to him complain.

But right now, her family wasn't on her mind. All she wanted to do was go home and curl up in a ball, in her bed, in the dark. She stared at the clock and realized she had less than an hour.

That hour felt like a lifetime as she drudged through it.

_Twenty more minutes_, she thought to herself, feeling her head pound at the thought. She just had to wait a bit longer and she would be home, in her bed, and asleep. She hoped anyways.

"Mariya, are you okay?"

Her co-worker stared at her, her head tilted as if a loyal puppy dog awaiting a pat. The thought made her sick.

"I'm just not feeling too good," Mariya answered with a sigh.

"Another headache?"

Why did everyone know her damn business? Mariya hissed inside of her head, but plastered a smile and nodded slightly so not to make her head pound anymore. The one good thing about being in human resources: you learned to put on a fake smile. And you learned how to fake a laugh at all the dirty, disgusting old men.

"Do you want any Tylenol?" the receptionist asked, trying to be friendly. Mariya realized that she had never worked with this one before. She was probably new, which again, lead to the question as to how she knew about the headaches.

"No, I'm off in fifteen," Mariya said through gritted teeth.

Only about seven people came up in those fifteen minutes, and most of them were just questions about the location of the washrooms. When those minutes of eternity finally ended, Mariya ran out of the Palace Hotel so fast, she crashed into a large gentleman with a dark coat and grisly features.

"Sorry," she grumbled, grabbing onto her head.

"You should be more careful." The voice was deep and slightly menacing. Instantly, Mariya looked up into cool grey eyes. He was in his late thirties probably, but he looked much older. His face was hacked with scars, as if he had been in a war or something.

"I know. Sorry. Have a good day," Mariya said quickly and then ran off, trying desperately to get to her car.

She could feel the man's gaze follow her.

When she finally reached the car, it was like heaven. The car started at the push of a button, and she listened to it purr for a moment before pulling out of the staff parking and onto the street. It took her just short of fifteen minutes to get home and when she did, Mariya thanked the heavens for letting her live.

She stumbled into the doorway, grasping her head in pain. The pounding was getting worse and worse. Her vision was starting blur and she was no longer sure if the stairs to her room counted to ten or thirty. Maybe twenty?

"Mrs–"

Mariya flagged a hand at the flustered help and took off, climbing the flight of stairs with both hands gripping at the railing. By the time she reached the top, she was out of breath, and every breath she took was like a knife to her skull.

What was happening to her? Should she call a medic?

_No_.

Mariya groaned in pain and slammed into the doors of her bedroom. She didn't turn the lights on but instead shut the door and fumbled her way to the bed. When she collapsed, she couldn't have felt better. It was like her headache was melting away...

Mariya had one last thought before falling into a deep, unrelenting sleep: the man she crashed into.

He looked like someone that could hurt a person really bad.

Mariya sighed and tucked herself under the covers. She would go to sleep and when she woke up, the headache would be gone and another day would occur.

The sun would rise and she would go to work, as per usual.

**You've been a bad, bad girl.**

Or maybe not.

* * *

**Don't kill me. Anyhoo.**

**To njclaws: I don't really know how it goes in my own head. To make it horror-like creepy, I think of it as a lullaby, but it's more of something else (I will not spoil).**

**To IrishIndy: Good question! Are we almost there? Yup. We have THREE MORE CHAPTERS LEFT! Woo.**

**My decision on the twisted ending has been finalized. I will end the story as lovey-dovey, happy-sun-shining as I always do. But, right after I post the final chapter, I will post another that will be titled "Additional Ending". The ending won't be different, but there will be an added twist. Will I continue this series? Doubt it, but my reasons why would spoil the ending.**

**THANK YOU FOR YOUR REVIEWS! I adore you all.**


	12. Breakdown

**I really do apologize for the lack of posting. I'm trying my hardest though but I already have a MIDTERM. In September! I've only been there 25 DAYS! FML.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha.**

_

* * *

_

_**Ordinary**_

_Chapter Eleven: Breakdown_

* * *

"Inuyasha, don't do this to me!" Kagome screamed. "I'm okay now. I'm awake and fully conscious. Let me out!"

"Oh no," Inuyasha said sternly, looking at her with intense amber eyes. "This happened once before. No. You are not getting out. Did you see yourself back there? You were screaming bloody murder. I thought a fucking ghost was trying to kill you!"

"Ghosts can't kill you!" Kagome shot back.

Inuyasha gave her a pointed stare.

"Not in the way you're saying it!" Kagome continued, aggravated. "Please Inuyasha?"

Inuyasha kissed her on the forehead. "No."

And with that, he shut and locked the door.

"If you get out," Inuyasha yelled through the car window, "the alarm will go off. And I'll catch you. And it won't be good." He gave her another pointed stare and sauntered off to his half-brother.

"I can't believe this." Kagome sighed and pushed her body against the seat forcefully. Inuyasha was freaking out – granted – but he didn't need to treat her like a child. He knew that she was strong. He knew that she could handle it. So what was his problem?

Kagome grumbled incoherent words as she looked around the truck. She wondered how long she was going to have to wait in the stupid thing. What was she to do?

_Run for your life, maybe?_ A dark chuckled stirred her out of her mental rambling.

"Not you again," Kagome moaned. "I fucking hate you. You killed Minori. Why?"

_Why not?_

"She wasn't even married!" Kagome shouted, feeling slightly insane. Here she was alone in a truck, after knocking herself unconscious because the dead were contacting her, talking to no one but the little voice in her head.

That happened to be a killer of dozens of women.

Inuyasha should've thrown her into a mental institution when he had the chance.

_Oh sweet Kagome. You don't even know the half of it. I like my women...tied up. It's like a game, you know, the chase before the catch? Women who are otherwise taken are much feistier, much more willing to live. I prefer them that way, but I don't rule by it. _The killer laughed. _Why haven't you left the city yet?_

"Because I'm going to find you, you son of a bitch," Kagome hissed. "And you're going to die."

_Kagome, I'm sorry, but you're time's almost up._

Like she hadn't heard that before.

_Oh I know you have. I know all about your half-sister. The one that tried to kill you. What a bitch, eh? She was trying to tear you and your dear Inuyasha apart._

"What does this have to do with anything?" Kagome asked furiously. "Who are you? What do you want? Are you even dead? How am I talking to you?"

_Yes, how are you talking to me?_ He laughed again and Kagome shivered, as if a cold finger ran up and down her spine. She checked the locks on the doors and whipped her head around, knowing but making sure, that no one else was in the truck with her.

"Why don't you answer that?"

_Because then it would give it all away,_ he said simply, as if Kagome should already know. His made a sound of disapproval and sighed. _I thought you were smarter than that._

"Who the fuck are you?" Kagome shouted again.

_Breathe back my soul and I will take you to a faraway place called home_, the killer sang sweetly to her. He stopped and gave a dark laugh. _You should be delighted to even know this song. Do you know who created it?_

Kagome clamped her mouth tightly together, realizing he was asking questions out of sheer humour at her expense. He was pleased with their conversation. The thought disturbed her on many levels and she tried to get Inuyasha's attention. "Who?" she asked, trying not to sound distracted.

_Oh don't call that jerk over,_ the voice demanded. _You know, you deserve to be with a real man. Like me. I bet you've never been with a man like me._

"Answer the question, you sick son of a bitch!" Kagome's temper flew out the window, feeling disgusted with herself. The thought revolted her.

_The very first one_.

"Mari Kan?" Kagome asked. She wondered, just wondered, if she could maybe get some information out of him. If he would talk to her long enough, maybe she could plot his next move, figure out his next task.

_That worthless fucking bitch? As if._

"So there are more?"

_More of what?_

"You tell _me_."

_Well, that's the question you should be answering for yourself. I mean, psychic that you are, shouldn't you figure it out?_

"I'm a medium. I talk to dead people. But you're killing humans so obviously you're not dead."

_I'm far from it, agreed._

"So how can I talk to you?"

_It's really not that hard if you think about it. If you only knew. Poor sweet Kagome. You'll probably die before it dawns on you. You're pretty but not the brightest bulb, that's for sure. _

"Fucking asshole. Give it up! You're going to go to hell! And I will find you. And when I do, I'll make sure you die a very slow, painful death."

_Will I? Want to make a bet?_

He was mocking her. Kagome didn't know what to do. Inuyasha wasn't paying the least amount of attention to her, all the while sticking to her like inseparable glue. She was stuck in a damn truck with the killer who was having a _conversation_ with her... Talking about her death. Talking about her stupidity and how the answers, the clues, the real meaning of everything was right on the tip of her tongue but she was too stupid to figure it out...

Kagome raced out of the truck, setting the alarm off. She slammed the door and stormed towards the end of the driveway, walking down towards the road.

"Kagome, get back here!" Inuyasha yelled, trying to stop the alarm while running to get her.

Kagome couldn't take it anymore. She couldn't take the killer in her head. She couldn't take the weight of all the dead bodies. She couldn't take the voices in her head. She was snapping. She was melting. She was breaking down.

And there was nothing she could do about it.

_Come now Kagome, you're stronger than that. I would hope so. When I kill you, I want it to be worthwhile._

"Kagome! Kagome! Where are you going? What's wrong?"

Kagome ran into the middle of the pavement, the middle of the road, and fell to her knees.

When the tears were running down her face, and she knew Inuyasha was yelling behind her, Kagome took in a deep breath.

And screamed bloody murder in the middle of the road.

* * *

It was seven at night.

Mariya groaned and rolled onto her stomach, wondering where all the time went. Last thing she remembered, she was at work with a massive migraine and then the next, she was at home, crawling into bed with the lights off. It had only been midday then, but now it was dinnertime.

She waited for a while, adjusting her eyes to the darkness. Did she have a headache? Was the pain still there? Mariya couldn't be sure. All she felt was the darkness that surrounded her. Sometimes, she felt like the pain was gone, but then the moment that she moved or stirred, it would come back just as powerful as it had before.

Mariya debated what to do for a few moments. She could lie there all night and wait for morning, but listening to her stomach she realized that she was hungry. Plus, her husband would probably want to see her and they would probably do their nightly routine of television and a hot tub.

Sex though, was out of the question.

Mariya sighed and rolled onto her back, trying to figure out what to do. There was also her step-child to deal with, but the kid didn't really hang around her anyways. Deciding to get up, Mariya braced herself against the side of the bed and slowly sat down.

Not so bad. She could feel a slight pounding in her temples, but nothing excruciating like it was before. She sat there a while and let it work itself out. It was better to go slow and steady, or else the blood would rush to her head and she'd be bedridden again.

But there never really was much hope anyways.

It hit her like a ton of bricks. The agonizing pain washed over her and she fell back onto her bed, clutching at her temples. She cried out, feeling as it intensified. She clenched her teeth and clamped her eyes, wondering what to do to make the pain go away.

_Aspirin._

Not like it ever worked for her, but she figured with pain this bad, it had to do something. If it didn't, she'd have to go to the hospital. She wasn't sure if she could deal with this sort of agony.

Mariya sat up again and tried to stand, making shaky movements toward the night table where the aspirin waited. She didn't even make it there though. She fell to the ground, the pain hitting her so hard it was like she had just been in a head-on collision. Her vision blurred and suddenly, she couldn't see. She couldn't see the vague outline of her bed, the door, the dresser. Nothing was there, just inky blackness.

_I'm blind_. The panic rose within her and bile crept up her throat. Tears started to spill over, threatening to become a waterfall of sobbing and undeniable waves of pain. Crying never helped a headache.

But by now, Mariya was pretty sure they weren't headaches. Was she dying? Did she have a tumour that she never knew about? Did she have cancer? Was she sick with only years left? Months? Days?

The options were endless and all of them sent Mariya into a spiral of panic. What was she going to do?

She had to call an ambulance.

Reaching out, she gripped what felt like the edge of the night stand. She still couldn't see and the thought alone terrified her shitless. She climbed up, her shaky arms barely managing to hold her own body weight. When the smooth surface was in her grasp, she groped around for the wireless phone.

Another attack.

The pain this time was so brutal, so unbearable, that she couldn't move, couldn't breathe. Was she having a stroke? She was barely in her thirties!

Mariya didn't have time to think about it because before she could even graze the phone, her world went black. It was like her body was shutting itself down one system at a time. Her eyesight was already gone and an agonizing pop took away her hearing.

_Scream._

But the thought was too late.

Mariya was dying.

* * *

"I'm so sorry I'm late!"

Tsuya Atsuko waited by her car with the young girl Soten Mizutani. Usually, the school had a daycare system afterwards for busy parents who couldn't pick their children up right after school. However, it ended at six, and it was already past seven.

A young woman in her mid-twenties ran up, waving her arms like a madwoman. She was cute, with curly brown hair and small eyes. Her smile was radiant, and right now, she was smiling at Soten as if she was the world.

"Are you okay sweetie?" the woman asked, and Tsuya realized that this was probably the nanny that the father was talking about. Tsuya reached out with her mind, trying to find the feelings behind the young girl. Instantly it flowed to her, like a movie playing behind her eyes. The emotions were raw and deep. She clearly loved Soten.

The nanny wasn't the problem.

"Hi," Tsuya said, shaking the girl's hand. "You're taking care of Soten?"

The woman nodded and smiled. "Yes, I'm her nanny. I have been for a few years. Before it was just a babysitting job but I need the money."

Soten bounced up and down, happier than Tsuya had ever seen the girl before the problems started occurring. She hugged the nanny, who blushed. "I'm with her a lot."

"Mr. Mizutani mentioned you. He said you were best friends." Tsuya took the literary license on that one, but she knew the woman wouldn't call the bluff. And she wouldn't dare ask Mr. Mizutani if he said so. The mention of him alone sent waves of fear, and Tsuya realized that the family was more than just a little "off".

"I guess you can say we are," the nanny replied. "They're usually very busy, you know?"

Tsuya licked her lips, studying the girl and trying to read her emotions. "So busy that they don't even see her?"

Soten finally piped up. "Can I sit in the car? My legs hurt," the young girl complained and the woman bent down to give her the car keys.

"Which one is unlock?" the nanny asked, trying to hide her grin.

Soten pointed to the button with the picture of an unattached lock and the nanny nodded, watching her as she ran across the abandoned parking lot.

"As I said," the nanny repeated, not at all sounding defensive. "They're really busy. Mr. Mizutani is constantly at work and the Mrs... Well, she's ill I think, but she hasn't said anything."

"Ill?" Tsuya asked, forcing a gasp from her lips. "How badly? Is she okay?" She tried to sound as genuine as possible, and in a way, she was. She was just a bit sceptical since the woman was most likely the cause for Soten's problems.

"She's just alone a lot, besides when she spends time with Mr. Mizutani," the nanny replied, shrugging. "I don't mind. Soten's like the very little sister I never had. A lot of people ask if she's my younger sister anyways." She gave a short laugh and looked back at the car, making sure that Soten was safe inside.

"Have you noticed anything wrong with Soten lately?" Tsuya asked, running her fingers through her short black hair. "She seems to have trouble focusing in class and recently, she's been sleeping a lot. It's very unlike her. She's a top student."

All of a sudden, the nanny looked extremely concerned. "What do you mean?"

Tsuya shrugged. "Just recently, a few weeks ago, Soten stopped... I don't know the word to use. _Trying_ I guess could fit. She sleeps more than she's awake. She doesn't do her homework and no matter how hard her friends try, she doesn't want to play with them. Soten's the most social girl I know in our class. I tried to help her but she just starts...screaming."

The nanny stared wide-eyed at her, and Tsuya felt the wave of absolute fear.

"Are you okay? Why are you scared?" she immediately asked the young girl, who again checked on Soten.

"I should really get going," the nanny replied, trying to walk away but Tsuya stepped in, grabbing her arm.

"I am not going to let anything harm Soten," Tsuya warned. "I need to know what's happening."

"There's nothing you can do," the nanny said quietly. "I don't know what it is myself. I just know..."

"What?" Tsuya demanded, maybe a bit too roughly. "What's going on?"

"Mrs. Mizutani...has been having late night...rendez-vous," the nanny whispered, coming closer to Tsuya. "She just gets up and leaves without a reason. She usually does it before the husband's home or after he's long passed out. I'm sometimes there until late, like one or two in the morning. And when she goes... It's like she's not all there. She ignores everything."

"Is she just ignorant? Trying to pretend you don't exist so you don't say anything?"

"I guess," the younger woman answered. "But I really don't know. The only thing I can think of is she's having an affair. But what do I know?" she laughed bitterly. "I'm just the nanny. I get paid very well, but I'm just there to keep the kid out of their hair."

Tsuya thanked the girl, and watched as the nanny jumped in the truck, smoothed out Soten's hair and then started the vehicle. The car roared into life, and soon she was backing out of the parking lot and down the road.

Minutes afterwards, Tsuya was still staring at the spot she had last seen the car, wondering what exactly everything meant.

Was the Mrs actually having an affair? And if she was, how did it affect Soten? Was she being abused and the nanny just didn't say anything? As lovely and protective of the child as that girl was, she did need the money and people would do anything for money. Tsuya knew that hands down.

"Crap," she said, not even swearing at her most difficult times. Being an elementary teacher taught her that it was best not to develop skills like that. They always came out at the wrong moment.

"Now what?"

So what did she have? What did Tsuya have that was pertinent to anything?

Well, there was the father, who was very cold and distant and probably never even pretended like his daughter existed. But she wasn't looking at negligence she was looking for something big.

The nanny knew a lot, but not enough. The information on the Mrs though was interesting. She only wished she had a name... Tsuya cursed herself for not asking. She wasn't sure if the mother was actually the reason, but at least it was a good place to start.

She had to think about Nobunga, she had to think about Minori. The feelings of sadness and absolute regret the poured out of her boyfriend was devastating. As an empath, she could feel emotions and read them like a book. Nobunga was no different, but her connection with him, her close contact with him made the emotions more real, rawer and she carried his pain with her wherever she went.

She had to help put this killer behind bars to give the love of her life some reassurance, some peace. She just had to.

Suddenly, Tsuya knew what to do.

Dialling the number for the police station, Tsuya waited impatiently for the phone to ring. She knew she'd be directly put through to an officer and not an emergency contact. Dialling 911 would've taken too long.

"_Officer Maiho, BPD, how can I help you_?"

"Officer Maiho, this is Tsuya Atsuko. We met earlier this morning about Officer Minori Kobayashi... I need to talk to Kagome Higurashi instantly please."

"_If there is any information, you can tell me and I can tell our sheriff directly_."

"Did I say I wanted the Sheriff? No. I want Kagome Higurashi," Tsuya begged desperately. She needed to get this sorted out. She needed to help Nobunga and Minori. She had too. "Get me her now."

Officer Maiho grumbled but did what he was told. He put her on hold for a few minutes and Tsuya used every childhood curse word she could think of, including fudge, darn, poopy-head and so on.

When the officer came back, he grumbled for a few moments before finally talking to her. "_She's not here right now. She's out with Sheriff. Can I give you his number–_"

"Do you have hers?" Tsuya demanded.

"_Yeah_," he answered.

"Then give it to me!" she shrieked. "And don't you dare put me on hold!" She was at her wits end, and things were only spiralling downward from there. The sky started to darken as the sun set, leaving her feeling more than alone in an abandoned parking lot.

Officer Maiho rambled off the numbers and Tsuya thanked him briefly before hanging up. She dialled Kagome's cell phone number and waited until the light female voice answered.

"Kagome?" Tsuya asked. "This is Tsuya. Remember me?"

"_Of course I do. Is everything okay?_" She sounded pretty worn out herself. Tsuya couldn't blame her.

"I think I know who to look into about Minori's death."

"_How_?" Kagome started to ask but she cut her off.

"Please, don't ask how. We'll call it a psychic hunch, okay?" Tsuya started to feel really nervous. She tried to search for her keys in her purse but was having a difficult time when she was also on her cell phone. "It's Mrs. Mizutani. I don't have a first name. Sheriff Seki should know her anyways. Look her up. I think she has something to do with it. If you have trouble bringing her in, say that I am reporting a possible abuse charge."

"_Is there abuse_?" Kagome asked, seeming to understand perfectly.

"Not physical, but I don't know what else," Tsuya answered. "Look, I've got to go but if you need to call me my number is–"

"_I've got caller ID, don't worry_," Kagome said. "_Go do what you have to do. I'll make sure this gets looked into immediately. Thanks Tsuya._"

But Tsuya never answered.

"_Tsuya_?" Kagome asked on the other end of the phone. "_Tsuya, are you there_?"

Then, after a moment of painful silence, Kagome screamed, "_Tsuya!_"

All she heard, was the sound of finality when she heard an unforgettable–

_Click._

_

* * *

_

**What's going to happen next? Well, I don't know, you tell me. Two chapters left!**

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	13. Possession

**I'm going out of order, but I felt I should post this anyways.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha.**

_

* * *

_

_**Ordinary**_

_Chapter Twelve: Possession_

* * *

It felt like Kagome's heart had stopped beating. "Tsuya?" she tried once again, screaming into the mouthpiece but it was too late. The phone beeped its disconnection.

"Oh my god," Kagome gasped, shutting her phone and turning to face Inuyasha, Sesshomaru, Menomaru and Kagura. "I think he's got Tsuya."

"Tsuya Atsuko?" Kagura asked. "She would fit the profile."

"Fuck the profile," Menomaru growled. "It's only been a _day_. How can this be happening?"

"He's evolving," Sesshomaru said evenly, pulling out his cell phone, ready to make calls. "Officer Minori, the ninth victim, was bound. Her arms and legs were tied to the head and footboards. This has never happened before. Also, she was drugged. There were traced of Valium in her system. Anything is possible now."

Kagome snapped her fingers. "Mr. Mizutani! Menomaru, do you know him?"

Menomaru glared at her, odd. "Of course. Why?"

"His wife," Kagome replied, looking at the group. "Tsuya called to tell me that she suspected the wife."

"And for what?" Menomaru demanded.

"Tsuya's a psychic – like me. But she's an empath. She can read emotions. Somehow she's got it that the wife has something to do with it. Isn't she a teacher? She told me that if you don't have anything to search her on, she will file a child- abuse report. Does he have kids?"

"Just one," Menomaru answered, nodding. "But not with his current wife. She's only the step-mother."

"Search her," Sesshomaru said, nodding. "I'll call the station and get the people moving. I'll get a basic perimeter around her house."

"Don't," Inuyasha warned, giving Sesshomaru a look. "If you put your men there, the killer will know. He'll go somewhere else, and we may never find the body."

"Then what do you suggest?" Kagura asked, shaking her head. "There's not much we can do. Just hope that we spot him."

"It won't be that easy," Kagome interrupted. "This guy – our killer has an advantage. He has to be psychic or _something_. He can talk to me, maybe clairvoyant? I don't know but I didn't sense his power."

"Miroku did say from the very beginning that there was a psychic around," Inuyasha mentioned, turning to Kagome. "Remember? He said it would explain why your powers are evolving."

"Fuck this _shit_," Menomaru cursed. "Alright. Send two cars, undercover. That's the least I'll go."

Together, the five of them rushed to the station. Kagome's head was starting to feel light. The voices were becoming too loud. As they entered the station, a few officers had set up a laptop in the conference room. Kagome looked at it and back at the others in horror.

"You didn't," she warned, feeling her stomach roll with nausea.

"If it starts happening," Sesshomaru stated, "we need every bit of information we can get."

Kagome massaged her temples. "Who the hell is doing this?"

"You tell me," Menomaru asked. "We still have shit for leads. The only reason we have a lead is because of Tsuya Atsuko..."

The rest of his voice faded as the room dimmed. Kagome whipped her head around, wondering what was going on. What was happening? Why didn't anyone else notice the darkness? And then it hit her.

The room went completely grey, only slight whites and blacks were the only other shades. She could hear the sound of whining, of sadness, and Kagome held her hands on her head, trying to listen to the voices of the dead.

She was in the Grey Time, and before she could move, before she could utter a word to warn Inuyasha, Sasara's ghost floated in front of her, bending down to meet her eyes. Sasara opened her mouth but no sound came out; however this time Kagome knew what to do. She let the voices consume her.

Kagome didn't think that it would ever be easy. It was like willing yourself to be taken over by a completely alien being. They had power over your body and you didn't. She just hoped that what happened last time would be the same for this time. She wanted control. She needed control.

"There's not much time," Sasara whispered.

"Who's doing this? Tell me who is killing all of these women. Tell me who killed you. Nothing will happen to you," Kagome tried to reassure, but Sasara shook her head wildly, as if her statement was unbelievable.

"You don't know," the ghost managed to say. "He'll kill me. He'll kill her."

"Tsuya?" Kagome asked.

Sasara frowned. "Who?"

Kagome shook her head. "Sasara, who is he going to kill?"

And that's when she started twitching. Sasara's entire body shook, and she looked around the room, her face contorted in pain. "He's coming. Oh god, he's coming," she panicked. "Kagome, listen to me. It's in the song. Kagome, it's all in the song."

"Sasara, no! Stay here! Who's hurting you?" Kagome screamed. She could feel something weird scratching at her back, but she ignored it. She needed to know who was doing this. She had to save Tsuya. "Tell me!"

Sasara's head bowed, blocking Kagome's view of her face.

Once more, Kagome tried. "Tell me who is doing this."

_Possession._

And that's when she let out a scream. A scream filled with so much emotion, it tore Kagome to pieces. Sasara's ghost screamed pain, agonizing and deep and her face twisted with so much anguish, Kagome wondered if you really could kill a ghost.

"Sasara!" Kagome yelled, but it was too late.

Sasara was gone.

The grey surroundings started to fade, instead being replaced by brilliant colours that forced Kagome to blink. Her ears popped loudly and she covered them, hurting at the changes that surrounded her.

"Kagome! Kagome!" Inuyasha shouted, the scratches belonging to him as he tried to grab her without success. "Come back to me!"

"It's in the song," Kagome murmured over and over again, rocking slightly. The voices were singing, their voices haunting her.

_And when I see you again, it'll be with arms wide full of love. And I'll see you again; it'll be the day I live for, even when I'm dead. With arms full of love, I'll hold you and kiss you. Love you forever until death do us part, and death will do us part, for I am long, long dead. I am the dead. And you, the living. Breathe me back my soul and I will take you to a faraway place called home..._

What did it mean?

"Tsuya's cell phone is shut off and she's not responding to her home phone," Menomaru said suddenly. Whipping around, Kagome realized that he had just walked into the conference room. She hadn't realized that he ever left.

"And your men?" Sesshomaru asked.

Shaking his head, Menomaru said, "They don't see a thing. There's absolutely no movement but there's no clear visual on the bedroom."

"We need to move in," Sesshomaru murmured.

"Wait!" Kagura announced, coming in from behind Menomaru. She, apparently, had left too. "I just got the basics on Mizutani's wife. It took a while, since there's absolutely nothing on her. I went through Mizutani's files, and located his primary information. He was married once and had a child: Soten Mizutani. She goes to the elementary school that Tsuya Atsuko teaches at. I haven't reached anyone though to confirm whether she's in her class."

"It's practically midnight on a Friday night. No one will answer," Menomaru interrupted.

"But that's not the point," Kagura continued. "He re-married a couple years ago."

"That's who Tsuya said to look up," Inuyasha stated, turning to look at Kagome briefly.

_Are you okay? _He never got a response.

"To who?" Menomaru asked.

Kagura shook her head. "You won't believe it."

Kagome, through all of this, was focusing on what Sasara said. It was all in the song, was it? Kagome tried to break it down, trying to figure out what all of it meant. Some of it seemed pretty straightforward. Other bits seemed to make no sense at all. But the very last line...

_Breathe back my soul and I will take you to a faraway place called home._

How could you breathe back someone's soul? And what was home?

The voices of the dead chanted the song over and over, making it sound almost like a soothing lullaby. If this was the song that the dead sang, it had to mean something to those that were dead. Would "home" then be considered Heaven?

How could you breathe back a soul?

Breathe back a soul...

Breathe back a soul...

"I have no clue," Inuyasha's deep voice boomed, breaking Kagome's train of thought. She looked up at him, a scowl lining her features. He shook his head. "But I didn't really pay attention. Kagome? Do you know her?"

"Who?" Kagome asked. "I was thinking."

"The receptionist," Kagura answered. "Mariya Mashina. She's Mizutani's husband but she goes by her maiden name during work."

"Yeah, I know her," Kagome said, not understanding. "She was the one that flirted with Miroku all the time. She was all over him."

"_That's _Mizutani's second wife. She's the step-mother of Soten. The one that Tsuya wants us to look at," Sesshomaru stated. "Does that make any sense?"

Kagome shook her head. "I haven't had contact with her myself. She dealt with Miroku, trust me."

"It doesn't even fit the profile," Menomaru argued. "Why are we looking into her? She's a female, not much upper strength in general and from the picture on our database she's not exactly strong. That wouldn't fit with _anything_ we profiled for this entire case."

"It's a male," Sesshomaru confirmed. "There's no other way around it. It can't be a woman."

_Possession._

"Oh dear fuck," Kagome whispered, her eyes wide in horror.

"What?" Inuyasha demanded, shaking her should slightly. "What are you thinking?"

"'Breathe back my soul and I'll take you to a faraway place called home'. It fits!" Kagome cheered. "_Home_ is Heaven. And to breathe back someone's soul is to make the dead _human_ again. _Alive_. It makes sense."

Menomaru scoffed. "A woman is going to be killed and you're cheering about some fucking riddle?"

"No!" Kagome yelled, whirling to face him. "It's the song that the dead use to refer to our killer. Our killer is male but our killer is _dead_. Don't you get it? It's _possession_."

For a long moment, everyone just looked at her. Kagome growled. "And I'm the one holding us back?" she shouted. She shook her head and then turned to Inuyasha. "Don't you remember? When you first met me, Miroku talked to you about the idea that spirits – dead people – could live again if they took over a human mind. If a door from the Grey Time, or limbo between worlds, is opened, a spirit could have the ability if they were strong enough to invade the human mind! That's what happened."

"So our killer is male," Sesshomaru concluded. "But our body is female. The strength–"

"It doesn't matter," Kagome argued. "The body can do anything. Anything at all. The reason that we stop ourselves most of the time is because we feel that we're too weak, or that it hurts too much. We have powers around us, surrounding us that we don't even know about. _Every_ human has a latent psychic ability but _most_ just can't access it. If the killer has it in his head that it's possible – it's possible."

"So Mariya Mashina-Mizutani has been possessed by a ghost? And now she's killing people? Why?"

"We have to figure out who the killer is first," Kagome answered, shaking her head hopelessly. "But the killer can't disappear like a ghost can. He's obviously so powerful that he's been slowly taking over Mariya's mind. She's losing the battle for her own body."

"I'll call her work and see when she was last in," Kagura said, nodding and leaving the room.

"It makes perfect sense. Sasara has been afraid to talk to me because she was afraid of _dying_. The killer was a ghost so I guess he could hurt her in the Grey Time if he so chose. That's why I can talk with him."

Inuyasha wrapped his arms around her tight. "But why are you connected? Why are you able to look into these deaths and write these stories?"

Kagome shrugged. "I don't know Inuyasha. I just don't know."

"I just called the Palace," Kagura shouted, walking back into the conference room. "The last time she was at work was earlier today, around three p.m. She was sick with a major headache. Her supervisor said she had them a lot and that medicine never worked. That's the last they've seen her."

"Bingo," Kagome said. "Headaches are a sign of the invasion on her mind. He was attacking her brain the entire time but her body just didn't know how to register it."

"So Tsuya was right," Menomaru said; his voice deadly calm. "And that puts her in the killer's sights."

"Get your men inside!" Sesshomaru barked, turning around and lifting his shirt to reveal the gun in its holster. "We need to get to her house now."

"What about scaring her?" Menomaru asked. "We can't risk it...either way."

"He – she's changing her M.O. every time," Kagura added. "By this point, there may not even be a guarantee that it will be in her bedroom."

Menomaru started making loud, clear orders as they left the conference rooms, several officers paging the vehicles under surveillance. The orders were clear. They had to move in.

Kagome made it to the doorway when her body crumpled over, the voices no longer singing the soothing lullaby but screaming as if on fire. She covered her ears, but knew it would do no good. The voices were inside her head, not out.

"Kagome! Kagome!" Inuyasha yelled. "Talk to me."

"The voices..." Kagome panted, wincing in pain. "They're screaming...so loud."

A scream tore out of Kagome's lips and she threw herself across the room, her arms and hands tensing and then releasing.

"She's having an episode!" Inuyasha yelled, running towards her but yelling at Sesshomaru. "She's starting to write the story. Get them in now or Tsuya's dead!"

Sesshomaru looked at Menomaru who nodded.

They only had a matter of seconds and the clock was ticking.

"No!" Kagome screamed, her voice eerie with the sounds of the dead lacing into it. "I...will not...do it!"

But her body wouldn't listen. It was as if she was a puppet in some sick show, forcing her to kill off another person. Kagome realized that it was almost like murder. Writing their deaths meant their deaths were already occurring. She was easily an accomplice.

"Kagome, I'm right here," Inuyasha murmured, grabbing her body and holding her tight against him. She threw herself onto the floor, barely managing to escape his grasp.

"Inuyasha," Kagome panted, looking up at his amber eyes in despair. "Don't let me do it. Don't let me kill her."

Inuyasha nodded. _I won't hurt you._

_But I won't kill her_, Kagome argued. _You have to._

Inuyasha leapt on top of Kagome's squirming body, forcing all of his weight to fall on her fragile body. His muscles tensed as he pinned her down, making her arms and legs tuck into herself so she couldn't kick or scratch. Kagome let out a howling cry of agony, as her hands reflexively started to drum against the floor.

_My hands_, Kagome cried in her mind. _They do everything._

Inuyasha didn't even think. He couldn't think. He knew what she was asking of him and he couldn't bring himself to do it.

_Inuyasha, now. You have to do it now._ Kagome pleaded with him desperately.

_I can't hurt you. I won't hurt you Kagome._

_There's no other way._

Inuyasha choked hard, wondering if their relationship would ever be completely and utterly normal. He wondered if it would ever have the chance.

_Do it._

_No_, Inuyasha fought.

_Now, Inuyasha. If you don't do it so help me God–_

Kagome never got a chance to finish her statement, because Inuyasha's fist pounded on her head.

Suddenly, her world when devastatingly black.

* * *

_There she is. My pretty._

_She was going to rat me out. She knew who I was._

_But she never knew the full extent of it, did she?_

_And that's what's going to end her life._

_She's going to die. _

_She's going to die now._

_Tick tock, here I come._

_Tsuya... Be ready._

_I'm going to kill you._

_And this time, your heart won't be the first stab I make._

* * *

Tsuya Atsuko never realized that she would actually die this way.

She was strapped to her bed, the darkness pooling around her. The dresser that sat in the far corner looking menacing, unlike the thoughts she previously had. The mirror looked broken. The lamp looked twisted. The paint looked like it was peeling.

All if it were signs of death.

Because Tsuya knew she was going to die.

She always thought that she would avoid death. She felt that her abilities as a psychic would prevent any such death from occurring. A murderer usually premeditated their victims. Tsuya knew that she was premeditated but... She never came into contact with the step-mother of Soten.

That had to be the killer.

Had to be.

The evil that was felt in the child covered the room, practically suffocating her like a heavy blanket. This was the evil that was haunting Soten. This was the evil that killed Minori.

This was the evil that was going to kill her.

Her psychic abilities were useless now. The only thing that she could hope for was that Kagome had listened to her and that they were searching for Mariya right now. But she wouldn't give them enough credit to say that they would find her on time. Tsuya had been around long enough, had seen enough nightly news and read enough newspapers to know that death surrounded everyone.

Tsuya was going to die tonight. She just wished she could tell Nobunga good bye one last time.

She just wished she could tell him how much she loved him, and how desperately she wanted to say yes to his proposal a few days before, but didn't because she feared _this_.

She should've said yes.

It would be her only regret.

**Regrets are useless now**.

Tsuya wondered when it would happen. It would hurt and she expected that. She didn't expect the gods to be so gracious as to let her die instantly. The killer didn't get off on that.

_Nobunga, I love you._

**There's no point in praying**.

Tsuya felt the first tears start to roll down her cheeks. She was terrified. She didn't want to die. She didn't want to die. She didn't want to die.

**You've been a bad girl**.

Sobs started to wrack her body as footsteps in the hall came closer to her bedroom. This was it. Her time was up.

**A bad, bad girl**.

Mariya Mashina-Mizutani walked in, her face oddly cheerful as she licked her dry lips. Lovingly, she caressed the knife in her hand.

"There are cops outside you know," Mariya said.

Instantly, Tsuya's world fell apart. Two things occurred to her: one, Mariya just gave her hope because the cops were near; and two, Mariya's voice wasn't female.

It was the voice of a man.

"But don't worry, you're going to die before they even get near," the dark voice taunted, twirling the blade. Slowly, Mariya climbed on top of Tsuya, her hair flowing down and tickling Tsuya's body. The knife, gleaming in the darkness by the light that streamed through the crack of a small curtained window traced patterns on her body. Red lines followed the tip of the blade and Tsuya choked on a sob.

"There's no use in crying Tsuya. You're going to die. It's the end."

Tsuya closed her eyes and waited for the pain.

She closed her eyes and thought of Nobunga's face.

She closed her eyes and prayed for a miracle.

Until the knife was rammed into her body.

* * *

**Yay! Another ending. Lovely. ONE MORE CHAPTER LEFT!**

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	14. I Am

**This is the final chapter. Please note, the chapter following is the _Additional Ending._ More information below.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha.**

* * *

_**Ordinary**_

_Chapter Thirteen: I Am_

* * *

Tsuya cried out in agony, feeling the cool blade invade her insides and tear at her from the inside out. Mariya pulled out the knife, smiling wickedly.

"One," she counted, though the male voice didn't suit the female face. "Two."

Suddenly, the sound of breaking glass filled Tsuya's mind, overwhelming all of her senses. She could feel the warm blood soaking her body, covering the mattress below her. She could hear sounds of screaming, pain and agony, but mainly, she could only hear her own cries. She could feel the torture her body was being put through and prayed that if death was coming, that it would come fast or not at all.

"Officer Maiho, calling for backup at 147–"

"I've got a code–"

"Put pressure on it now!"

"There's so much blood–"

"Tsuya, can you hear me?"

More shouts and cries filled her ears, but all Tsuya could hear was the beating of her heart and the rush of her blood. She was dying. There was nothing of her left.

"Let me kill her!" a male voice howled and she heard the sounds of many officers jumping on the target, yelling about this or that.

She couldn't breathe. It was like bubbles were invading her blood stream, making every heart beat, every breath a hindrance. She wanted to cry but no tears would fall. She wanted to scream but her breath was too short. She wanted to die and get it over with, but the white light never came.

All of a sudden, the many officers that surrounded her backed away and long green hair covered her vision. She thought it was Sheriff Seki, but she couldn't be sure. She couldn't see because her vision was blotted out with black spots. She coughed, her chest wracking as attempted sobs came out. Her hands tried to grasp at the centre of her pain, but all she could feel were clothes soaked with something damp.

"Tsuya. Tsuya Atsuko. Talk to me, Tsuya. Talk to me," Sheriff said but she couldn't respond. She didn't have the breath. It was becoming so much harder. She could barely remember if her name was actually Tsuya. Was that who she was, behind all of this pain?

Abruptly, a female voice filled her ears, shaking her to her core. "Nobunga needs you Tsuya. You can't die – not now. Nobunga needs you. You have to live. You have to."

Nobunga.

Nobunga.

Nobunga.

Tsuya took every effort that she had to take a deep, long breath. Her body started to shake, quivering with coughs that were filled with blood and other liquids. But she wouldn't die.

Nobunga needed her.

"Where...?" Tsuya tried to say but her voice failed her. She started coughing up blood again and the pain in her chest started to spread to the rest of her body. It felt like she was on fire, burning red hot in the flames.

"Sir, we need to take her now," someone said and soon, her body was being moved. She felt the wind pass through her hair, but blankets and restraints kept her from moving anything. Voices surrounded her again, but nothing made sense. It was all just garble in comparison to the pain she felt.

But she would live for him.

She was put into some sort of vehicle and while medical workers were going on about this liquid or that tool, she thought about anything she could besides the pain. She remembered days in the park with Nobunga or evenings shopping with Minori. She thought about the little girl Koume in her class, and how cute she was when she tried to play teacher. Tsuya thought about every little happy detail in her life, only to reinforce the will for her to survive. She would make sure that she got through it.

She would make sure that she went home to Nobunga so she could say yes.

Yes to marrying him.

Yes to living together.

Yes to a family.

It felt like she spent eternity in the vehicle, but soon, she felt the cool breeze on her skin once more and she was rushed into a building. Bright lights clouded her vision, but with sudden awareness she tried to turn her head.

He was there.

"Tsuya!" he screamed, pain in every sense of the word flowing from his lips.

Tsuya started shaking, trying to plead with the EMS workers to stop so she could talk to him. She had to tell him, she had to!

They ignored her, but Tsuya fought until she ripped the mask off of her face, making it extremely difficult to breathe. She fought for air and the pain in her chest increased, making her cry out.

A doctor tried to put it back on her face but she squirmed. "Nobunga!" she screamed, putting every effort into that word. The workers around her slowed, looking at the male that was desperately trailing them.

"Sir, we need to take her in. Please," one of them said but Tsuya cut him off, screaming.

"Yes!" she pleaded, staring into his eyes with hope. "I...say _yes_."

Nobunga ran up to her, his two hands covering her cheeks as he ignored workers that tried to get him off. "I love you," he whispered. "You can't die. You won't die on me," he ordered. His face was red and tear-strained.

She wouldn't die.

She wouldn't let him suffer like that.

She would live, if only for him.

Finally, the workers shoved him over and they started running her to whatever room they had for her. Before they struggled to get the mask on her, Tsuya sighed and tried to relax, to let the pain go.

"Yes," she whispered, while she let the drugs take effect and lull her into slumber.

* * *

Kagome stared at the scene with wide, terrified eyes.

"She almost died," she whispered, her voice tight with emotion. "I was almost too late."

Inuyasha wrapped his arms around her, holding her close to protect her from the wind that blew at them. They were outside of Tsuya's small bungalow home, where crime scene workers and police stood doing their jobs. Cameras flashed and murmurs spread as families and couples surrounded the scene, itching to see something worth their time. It was very early Sunday morning, around three am, so most were wearing their pyjamas.

"Is Tsuya okay?" one whisper desperately asked over and over again.

"It couldn't have been that boyfriend. He's too much of a wuss to even raise a hand."

Kagome ignored them and looked back at the house. She wondered where Mariya was. She had seen Tsuya when she was lying on the bed, close to dying, but Mariya had been taken to a room in the back. They were trying to deal with her and figure out what to do.

It was a bit difficult to arrest Mariya Mashina-Mizutani when her voice was clearly a man's.

Suddenly, a booming voice echoed through the night and many heads turned towards a furious man, running with a child in his arms. Kagome could only assume it was Mr. Mizutani and Soten, the daughter that Tsuya knew.

"Where is she?" Mr. Mizutani growled. "What are you doing to my wife?"

Menomaru came out of the house at the sound of his voice and approached him with deadly calm. A few officers held Mizutani back, making sure he didn't do anything stupid. Soten was put down on the asphalt of the street, where all of the workers were gathering.

"Mr. Mizutani, I'm Sheriff Seki–"

"I know who the hell you are," Mizutani roared. "Where is my wife?"

"She's being arrested," Menomaru said evenly, his voice never rising. "She's being charged with attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon."

"Why?" Mizutani asked, shaking his head. "Mariya shouldn't even be involved."

"Mr. Mizutani," Menomaru interrupted, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Your wife...is sick. She's no longer herself. We have reason to believe that she's committed a minimum of nine murder counts. I must warn you that she will be tried in court."

"Nine?" Mizutani looked shaken, looking everywhere but the sheriff in front of him. "How is that possible? It can't be!"

"You only met her a year ago, correct? And then you got married?"

Mizutani's eyes blazed. "Yes."

"She hasn't killed anyone up until now for the past year," Menomaru told him. "She hasn't been active."

"Until now?" Mizutani whispered. "Who? You're not saying–"

Menomaru cut him off, nodding. "The deaths of Sasara Fumito, Momiji Kikuchi, Daisuke Kikuchi and Minori Kobayashi. She most likely will be charged for more as well. This is just presently, when you were around in her life."

"Four people?" Mizutani sighed and looked down at Soten, who was sitting on the asphalt rocking back and forth. "What am I going to do? Soten... She's fragile enough."

"We'll try to help–" But Menomaru's sentence was drowned out by the roar coming from the house.

Mariya Mashina-Mizutani was being dragged, literally, by four officers. Her feet were bound and her hands were cuffed behind her back. She was screaming, but the voice wasn't hers.

"Soten!" Mariya screamed. "Soten!"

Soten's small body jumped up, shaking. Tears fell from her face as she stepped away; every step seeming to cause pain.

Kagome watched in horror as the scene unfolded. Grabbing Inuyasha's hands and dragging him behind her, she approached the car in which the officers struggled to put her in. She was flipping her body, twisting her arms and legs so that it was nearly impossible for them to put her in. "Wait!" she yelled, looking at Menomaru. "I have to talk to her."

Menomaru looked around at the crowd before returning her gaze. "Why?"

"We need to know who he is," Kagome answered. "There has to be some reason for it, even if only we know. It's not Mariya's fault. Her mind was taken over."

Menomaru sighed but nodded to his men, standing close by to listen in on the conversation.

"Kagome, are you sure this is a good idea?" Inuyasha asked but Kagome smiled and gave his hand a squeeze.

Approaching the vehicle, she watched the crazed look in the woman's eyes. They were rolling around, her dilated eyes disappearing and reappearing quickly. Mariya panted hard breaths, as if she was running a marathon. Kagome knew it would only be a matter of time. But if she could get the real Mariya back, if she could find her soul somewhere, she could help her get off on an insanity plea. At least it would make it easier.

"Who are you? What have you done with Mariya?" Kagome asked in a low tone.

Mariya's body jolted up and down as she laughed, the deep chuckle still startling to her ears. "Oh? Mariya's here."

"Let her talk to me," Kagome demanded.

Mariya smiled wickedly, the grin flashing from ear to ear. "I don't think she's in the mood to talk right now. She's usually exhausted after a kill because she tries so hard to gain control. It's pathetic, you know? The bitch didn't even die."

"The bitch was a friend," Kagome hissed, glaring at him. "Mariya, if you hear me, you can do it. You have to take control!"

For a moment, she thought it worked. Mariya's face contorted and she seemed to be in some sort of pain. Her eyes returned to a regular size, the colour much clearer. She had pretty eyes – green like emeralds. The look on her face was tortured. "He's...too...strong," the real Mariya gritted out, the feminine voice finally matching the body. "Can't...control... Kill...me," she gasped.

Kagome raced up and grabbed her shoulders, watching as the girl visibly relaxed under her touch. "No. You're going to fight. You're going to win Mariya, you hear me?"

"Can't... Sorry," Mariya panted and then a painful, gut-wrenching cry escaped from her mouth, the female high-pitched shriek transforming into something much deeper, much more powerful.

Laughter ensued as the male posing as Mariya took over, the expression on his face pure happiness. His smile was evil. His eyes gleamed like they could see right through you and everything about him screamed absolute, undeniable evil.

"Where's Mariya?" Kagome shouted. "Bring her back! Mariya!"

Mariya's body moved up and down as the booming laugh passed through her lips. "Oh little girl, she's not here anymore."

Kagome took a step back, her hands jumping off of her shoulders as if they would burn her. She crashed into Inuyasha, who held her steady.

"What do you mean?" he demanded. "Where is she?"

Mariya grinned wickedly. "We traded places. She's dead."

Kagome stared at the woman in shock.

"I've found you Kagome," the male voice sneered. "Found you."

Menomaru stepped between them. "Put her in, _now_," he ordered, giving Inuyasha a cool glance.

Inuyasha nodded and pulled Kagome away, who was too frozen to move. Mariya was gone. The real Mariya was dead now. Whoever this man was, he had taken over her body. Mariya was now forced to live in the Grey Time forever. She just hoped that she wouldn't have nightly ghost visits.

"Oh don't run away Kagome!" Mariya roared. "I'll find you. I always will. You've been a bad girl Kagome. A bad, bad girl."

Kagome, with tears tumbling down her cheeks, screamed. "Who are you?"

Mariya's body was now forced into the cruiser, the cops ready to shut the door when the male voice cut through the air. "Kanzaki!"

And then the car door was slammed, and Kagome wished that she would never see him/her again.

Who knew that just an ordinary, everyday person could be victim to someone so horrifyingly evil?

* * *

"Daichi Kanzaki," Sesshomaru started, reading the information off of his computer. "Thirty-six years old, passed away in 2005. He was killed by an on-duty officer who responded to a rape call. Apparently, Kanzaki had raped the wife of a wealthy bureaucrat, who came home just after it occurred. He called the cops and proceeded to attack him.

"When the officer arrived on scene, the bureaucrat and his wife were dead, both stabbed in the stomach with a kitchen knife found in their house. Kanzaki continued to make threats and when he came after the officer, he was shot. Double-tapped, killed instantly.

"Later on, there was evidence that it was not actually rape but an affair. The wife just didn't want to lose the power she had with her husband and pretended like she had been attacked by a random stranger. Evidence was found after searching through his email." Sesshomaru nodded slowly. "That would do it."

Kagura, Inuyasha and Kagome sat in the conference room. Menomaru was out at a press conference and was otherwise occupied. Sesshomaru had immediately done his research on the man Mariya's mystery voice claimed to be. It had been just over a week since Mariya was caught attempting to kill Tsuya. The FBI agents stayed behind to help build a case to take with the DA. Since Mariya was no longer in her body, she wouldn't suffer being in jail. If the bastard who took her body wanted to be in it so bad, he could be in it in jail.

Kagura sighed, paperwork piled up around her. "It's so sad, how someone can manipulate a situation so badly it becomes unsalvageable. No wonder he hated women. I bet he had a shit home life too. Mom could've been an addict or something. Anything's possible."

"But he should go to jail, correct?" Kagome asked, looking at both Sesshomaru and Kagura. "The evidence is all there, isn't it?"

Sesshomaru grimaced. "More or less. Tsuya promised that she would act as witness during his trial in court. The warehouse that we found abandoned contained bottles of the same bleach found on the hilt of the knife. There was also a ton of blood in there too, and Trace is still working but they've found evidence of almost every victim's DNA. Our killer kept trophies, all of which had some sort of fingerprint or blood. The skin cells under Daisuke Kikuchi's nails were a match to Mariya and there are claw marks clearly imprinted on her skin. There's evidence but it depends on how far back they'll go."

"What I want to know," Inuyasha started, "is how Kagome connected with Mariya."

For a long moment, they all watched Kagome, who was thinking. She couldn't ever remember a time where she directly dealt with the woman, never mind came into physical contact with her.

Unless.

"It was the woman who was crying in the bathroom," Kagome announced, a small smile on her lips. "I gave her tissues through the stall. I touched her... It must have been enough, especially if the killer was the reason for her tears."

"And since you made contact, the killer could speak to you whenever, because Kanzaki hadn't fully taken over Mariya's body yet," Kagura stated, nodding. "Now everything makes sense."

"Murder never makes sense," Sesshomaru pointed out coldly and stood up. "We're going to get going now though." He gave Inuyasha a nod and Kagome a slight smirk. "I'll bet I'll see you both around eventually. To my great misfortune."

"I hope not," Inuyasha muttered but Sesshomaru chose to ignore it.

Kagura gave hugs all around and waved as they left the conference room, leaving Inuyasha and Kagome alone.

"We should go too," Inuyasha said quietly, coming up and wrapping his arms around her. "I need to get back and kick Kouga's ass."

"Why?" she asked, raising a brow. "Have you talked to him?"

Inuyasha smirked. "No, but I know while Sango was gone that something went to hell. He can't _not_ screw up."

Kagome sighed loudly and rolled her eyes, a smile playing on her lips. "You're a pain in the ass," she giggled and grabbed her purse.

"No, this is a pain in the ass," Inuyasha corrected, his hand slapping her ass hard.

Kagome made a face and swung her purse around – missing him but getting her point across.

They piled in the Maserati and took it back to the hotel where their luggage waited. They had already paid the tab at the front desk and were now just making sure nothing was forgotten.

"You know," Inuyasha said, his voice breaking the silence. "This would be a really nice place to stay if the whole murder-thing didn't happen."

"True."

"But we'd need at least a suite next time. With a bigger bed."

"If there're two of us, definitely."

Inuyasha pouted. "Why wouldn't there be two of us?"

"You can't really leave work," Kagome replied, shrugging. "I wasn't saying I wouldn't want you here."

"Well," Inuyasha started, looking everywhere but at her. "I was thinking...of taking some time off."

"When?" she asked, giving him a pointed stare. If Inuyasha didn't want to work, something was going terribly wrong. He hated it most times, and he complained a lot, but he would be nothing without his job.

"Whenever the church is free." Inuyasha closed the distance between them and laced his fingers through her hair. "Do you remember when you were in the hospital after Tsuybaki's attack?"

Kagome was speechless. Did he just say church?

"You said that a happy ending would be 'I love you' with the promise of marriage and children and eternal happiness."

"You remembered the 'eternal happiness' part?" Kagome asked, for lack of a better thing to say. She couldn't fully comprehend what was happening. Her mind was racing a million miles an hour and she thought that if she stopped, she would feel like she would miss the whole thing.

Inuyasha gave a small laugh. "Yeah. Who do you think I am?"

"Chief of Trite?" Kagome added cheekily.

Inuyasha sighed impatiently. "Kagome, I love you. And after going through all of this – again – I don't think I can wait until we get back."

The pause gave Kagome time to think of a proper, understandable sentence. "What?"

Tilting her head upwards, Inuyasha leaned down and kissed her softly on the lips, memorizing everything about her. The way she smelled, the way she tasted, the way she responded to the smallest of touches...

"I love you," Inuyasha repeated and slowly, he lowered himself down to one knee. "Kagome Higurashi, will you marry me?"

Kagome blinked, and then suddenly she tackled him, forcing him to fall over and crack his head on the thin carpeted floor. "Are you serious?"

Inuyasha winced. "What do you think? Why else would I go on one knee?"

Kagome beamed at him, her smile elegant. She kissed him lightly, over and over again until Inuyasha thought he had been turned senseless. "Of course I'll marry you! Yes!" she shouted, happy. She held her left hand out and grinned.

Inuyasha smirked, slightly coughing. "I said I couldn't wait anymore. So, um, the ring is back at home."

"Where?" Kagome asked, genuinely wondering where he was hiding it.

"My sock drawer."

Kagome burst out laughing, shaking her head at him and never being happier. "I guess it all worked out then," she said slyly. "I couldn't have imagined it better."

"What all worked out? You didn't know..." But then Inuyasha realized that behind her smile, she was hiding something. "What Kagome? No one else is trying to kill you, right?"

Kagome laughed again and Inuyasha realized that he would never get tired of hearing it.

"No silly," she replied. "I have news of my own. You, Mr. Taisho, Chief of Trite and the biggest macho half-demon ever, are going to be a _daddy_."

"We're having a kid?" Inuyasha asked; his amber eyes wide. "Since when?"

"Since I said so," Kagome toyed. "I really do love you."

Inuyasha, still reeling in shock, smiled brilliantly from ear to ear. "I love you too, Mrs. Taisho."

_**The End.**_

* * *

**YAY! ENDING! I know I'm behind on Beauty Killed the Beast but I wanted this done. So there you go.**

**_Note One:_ There is an additional ending. I'm posting it directly after this so it should be up right away. This ending is NOT required. It ends on a bit of a cliffie but I HAD TO WRITE THIS. I had to. So it's there for those of you that would like a twisted ending to a twisted story. **

**_Note Two:_ There will be no further stories about this. That's right, no more. Sorry. HOWEVER, I am writing another story which will hopefully be posted soon! It's called How to Kill Me and there is a synopsis on my profile. It's not about psychics, but it is about supernatural identities and demon slaying and so on. It's like an Imaginary/Ordinary/Loyal Traitor mix. I'm quite proud of it so far. So keep an eye open :)**

**_Note Three:_ THANK YOU FOR ALL OF THE REVIEWS! All of you that have read Imaginary and Ordinary, I'm so happy and so grateful that all of you enjoyed it!**

**Please let me know what you think! Thank you thank you thank you thank you for everything!**

**Loves,**

**WitchyGirl99**


	15. Additional Ending

**I'm proud of those of you that have dared to read my little ending of fun! Please, enjoy and again, this is not needed to be read in order for the story to be complete. It was complete last chapter. Happy Reading!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha.**

* * *

_**Ordinary**_

_Additional Ending_

* * *

Soten Mizutani sat in the psychologist's room, looking around at all of the really neat stuff. He had tons of books and statues that looked oddly old. The room was a fair size, enough for her to run around or play hide and seek in, and the large couch and chairs didn't nothing to diminish it. There were large bay windows that were much taller than her – even the psychologist. They were open today, with only the screen as a barrier from the seven-story high fall. The breeze cooled her and she imagined herself jumping out of the window and flying far, far away.

"How are you today Soten?" a thin, older gentleman asked, his smile kind. "Feeling any better?"

Soten shrugged. Her father had started sending her to see 'Dr. S' every Thursday for an hour. It was long and it was boring. She hated answering all of his stupid questions. Didn't he know how to play and have fun?

"What did you do yesterday? Your father told me you were out playing with some friends," Dr. S hinted, the smile still in place. It was like it was permanently there. It reminded Soten of a fake.

"My father knows nothing," Soten answered immediately, her tone slightly cruel. "Daddy knows nothing."

"What should he know?" Dr. S asked, leaning forwards and tilting his head. Was he supposed to look all innocent like that? And how dare he ask her?

_He's begging for it_, the voice chanted in her ears. And then her head started to pound.

"I don't like that question," Soten said sharply, looking at Dr. S. "You always ask dumb questions."

"I'm just trying to help you Soten," the doctor responded, still smiling.

"Stop smiling," Soten ordered. "Stop it right now!"

As if on cue, Dr. S frowned. "What's wrong? Is something bothering you?"

Soten jumped off of the couch and ran to the window, pushing against the screen slightly. "I want to fly," she said, her child-like voice sounding adorable if the circumstances were different. "Can you break the screen so I can fly?"

"No, that would be a bad idea," Dr. S said tirelessly. "Come back over here."

"No."

"But–"

"No." Soten crossed her arms and glared at Dr. S.

Finally, with a sigh, the doctor came over, pushing her small body away from the window. "Go back to your seat," he ordered.

"NO!" Soten screamed. "NO! NO! NO! NO!"

Suddenly, the doctor looked terrified. He wasn't smiling anymore and Soten felt better. The pounding in her head lessened and she felt more powerful, more in control.

"I DON'T LIKE YOU!" Soten screamed. The doctor just stumbled back, his body leaning on the screen at a dangerous bend. "GO AWAY!"

"Soten," Dr. S tried to reason but it was too late – far too late.

Soten shrieked an undeniable cry of fury and without warning, she lurched her body towards the doctor and shoved him with all of her might. She could feel her muscles growing beneath her, as if she were as strong as any grown-up. A few snaps could be heard and Dr. S panicked, waving his body and clutching at her like a lifeline.

"GO AWAY!" Soten repeated, pushing hard and biting down on the hand that gripped her shirt.

Dr. S yelped in pain and wailed around, the final snaps of the screen being heard.

The screen broke.

The doctor fell out.

Soten smiled wickedly, enjoying the sight of the doctor as he gave her one last pleading look. He looked purely horrified. He knew he was going to die. He knew that it would only be a couple moments before his head splattered against the pavement below.

A scream could be heard and Soten inched towards the open window, peering down at the sight below her. There Dr. S laid, a pool of red blood surrounding his skull. His one leg was bent at an awkward angle underneath him and his eyes were open, staring up at the sky – at _her_, accusingly.

Soten gave a small laugh, the sound nothing like the childish giggle she usually gave.

In fact, the voice wasn't hers at all. It belonged to the voice of an older woman. Looking down at the dead man below her, the young child grinned.

"You've been a bad, bad boy."

_**The End. Or is it...**_

* * *

**No, it really is the end, but I guess not for Soten. Again, as mentioned earlier, I will not be continuing this series. I do have more stories coming from my sleeves though!**

**Please let me know what you think and review!**


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